


The Purrification of one Hermione Granger

by Ralina



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Hermione Granger/Viktor Krum, Multi, Mutual Pining, kitten cuddles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:26:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 70,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28898886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralina/pseuds/Ralina
Summary: After being accidentally transported two years into the past, Hermione Granger must protect her true identity. Letting the Headmaster transfigure her into a cat sounded like a good idea, ending as the Weasley twins’ pet… not so much.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley/George Weasley
Comments: 575
Kudos: 306





	1. An unconventional solution to an unconventional problem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moonfairy13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonfairy13/gifts).



> For this story I am blessed with the help of not one, but three amazing writers: [EmiliaVBlake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmiliaVBlake/pseuds/EmiliaVBlake) has volunteered to alpha for me, [nautilicious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nautilicious/pseuds/nautilicious) is working as my beta and [moonfairy13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonfairy13/works) has provided some fluffy input. I am truly amazed by all of this kind support!
> 
> Rating M for safety. There will be some adult language, but probably no smut.

Hermione could not have said how exactly it had happened, but somehow during her fight with Dolohov, she must have lost focus, his next spell throwing her backwards, right into one of the shelves. It must have been the one with the time turners, she realized later, when she woke up in the middle of the Time Chamber,  _ two years prior.  _ She had gone back to just at the beginning of summer break, after she had finished her third year at Hogwarts. The last thing she remembered was a loud crash and, going by the several cuts and the glass shards sticking in her hair, skin and clothes, she had broken several of the sensitive instruments, resulting in her unfortunate accident. That was, at least, how she explained her situation to the six straight-faced Unspeakables and, later on, to the Headmaster, who watched her with a fascinated glint in his blue eyes. 

“That is indeed a most unusual story, Miss Granger,” he said, stroking his long beard while watching her over the rim of his half-moon-glasses. “Flying a thestral to London…” He shook his head. “To be young again… I must admit that I have only heard of a few cases similar to yours, and most of them are long in the past.” 

Hermione nodded, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “Is there anything that can be done, sir? Do you think there is a way to send me back… um, I mean forward?” She knew the answer, or at least she believed she did after having used a Time-Turner for almost a year, but she still wanted to hear it from the man in front of her. Because  _ if _ there was a way to send her back, then Albus Dumbledore would know of it.

There was not. 

“So far we have only found a way to go back in time. Going forward can only be done by taking the slow path, I am afraid. I know to someone as young as you this might seem like a total waste of time, but in the current situation it is all you can do.”

The Headmaster’s voice sounded almost regretful, his tone was what made her understand that this was final - that she was stuck. She shuddered at the implications of it.

“But, sir!” she protested, desperate for a way out of this situation, even if there was none. “I can’t possibly stay at Hogwarts, as I would run into my past self. And the chances of meddling with time and therefore for eliminating my future…” Hermione broke off, realizing that she didn’t dare reveal the details of the future to anyone, even the Headmaster. She could not live through her fourth year again, watching Harry or  _ Cedric _ struggle their way through the Triwizard Tournament without intervening. It was simply impossible. But where else was she supposed to go? Would she have to go back to her parents, seeking refuge in the Muggle world to wait out almost 22 months. How was she supposed to prepare for her NEWTs like this? With growing panic she shared all those thoughts with the Headmaster, her chest feeling tighter and tighter with every word she spoke. 

Professor Dumbledore, on the other hand, did not seem overly bothered at all. 

“This is indeed a most unconventional problem,” he said after her words had finally run out, leaving her feeling empty and spent. “But there is always a solution, my dear, even if it is an unconventional one. I do understand your fear of being discovered or intervening with your future as those are both very real dangers. You can trust me to keep your secret of course, but I believe that no one else should learn of your situation until you are back in your original time. Do you agree?”

She nodded. “Yes, Professor.”

The fewer people knew of her situation, the better. She would not be able to keep her secret forever, of course, as people would discover the age gap as soon as she was back in her original time. But until that day her secret would need to be kept,  _ carefully _ .

“Very well, Miss Granger. Then we will have to find a place for you to stay, including a way to remain undetected. Furthermore, we should make sure that you will not be able to intervene with your own timeline or those of your friends’, while still giving you access to Hogwarts and maybe even some classes,” the Headmaster summed up, his blue eyes looking at her steadily. 

“Would that be possible, sir? How?” Hermione found herself asking, unable to believe her luck. 

Professor Dumbledore smiled. “That depends entirely on you and your willingness to adapt to this new situation. Tell me, Miss Granger. What is the family you trust to protect and care for you the most?”

The answer was easy. “The Weasleys, sir.”

The Headmaster nodded, his smile indicating that he had not expected anything else. “Well then, Miss Granger. Luckily for you, that particular family always had a big heart and they do have two sons that are about to start their sixth year at Hogwarts. Isn’t that a happy coincidence?”

“Indeed,” Hermione said, even though she still could not see what the Headmaster had planned for her, or what it had to do with Fred and George. But she guessed she was about to find out - soon. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


She would not have found  _ this _ particular solution in her wildest dreams, Hermione thought when she found herself being carried by the old man towards the door of the Burrow only an hour later. It took all of her willpower to not hold onto his silky, midnight-blue robe with her  _ claws _ and Hermione could not help but ask herself how long it would take her to get used to that particular fate. She was a  _ cat _ , a brown, long-haired cat, because somehow the Headmaster had managed to convince her that transfiguring her was the best option to keep her safe, disguised and unable to act. 

Maybe he was right, but even though she loved and trusted the Weasleys she could not help worrying about what the twins might do to her, as soon as they learned she belonged to them. Would they try to feed her any of their products? Would they prank her, or forget to take care of her? 

She shuddered, her sharp claws involuntarily digging deeper into Dumbledore’s robe. HIs only reaction was a grandfatherly smile and a twinkle. She would have to trust Fred and George, she decided-- if Mrs Weasley would even allow her to stay. 

She need not have feared. 

“You say you found this beautiful animal right on your doorstep, Albus?” Mrs Weasley said shortly after they arrived, looking at Hermione with brown, kind eyes. “She looks well-kempt, don’t you think? Are you sure she doesn’t already belong to someone?”

“Indeed, Molly. I am quite certain. She is still rather young, you see? Maybe one of the neighbour’s cats has recently given birth to this beautiful kitten here,” the Headmaster replied, looking at her with a kind smile. Hermione stiffened under his gaze, forcing herself to sit even straighter, hoping to show the matron that it would indeed be worth keeping her. “You see, I thought your twins would maybe like a pet for themselves - maybe as a reward for their OWLs. What do you think? ” He continued, his eyes twinkling. 

Mrs Weasley seemed to consider his words. Finally, she shrugged. “It can’t hurt, I guess. Cats are more or less self-reliant. And maybe a pet would indeed teach them to be more responsible.” She sighed before her eyes focussed back on Hermione. “Come here, Lovely.”

Hermione did not even hesitate. Instead, she got up before proudly walking towards her new adoptive mother. Because she did not doubt that it would be Mrs Weasley feeding her in the end. With a soft “meow” she sat down in front of her, looking at her expectantly. 

“My, she really is a clever thing, isn’t she?” the older witch cooed, before carefully lifting her onto the table. Hermione rose her chin proudly, causing the Headmaster to chuckle.

“She is one of the cleverest cats I have ever had the pleasure to meet,” the man confirmed seriously. “I am sure you will not regret taking her in, Molly.”

At that, Mrs Weasley sighed, her hand caressing the fur on Hermione’s back ever so gently. “Do not worry, Albus. I am sure she will be a wonderful addition to our family. Isn’t that right?” she asked, looking down at her with soft, brown eyes. 

Hermione purred, rubbing her hand against the witch’s hand. It was all the answer she could give, but by the smitten look on Mrs Weasley’s face it was all that was necessary here.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“You got us a cat?” Fred asked, staring down at her in disbelief. “For our OWLs? We didn’t even get the results, yet.”

Hermione could see the redhead getting elbowed by his twin, who was looking at him with a soft smile. 

“Hello beautiful,” he said, holding out his hand as if he wanted her to sniff him. Hermione considered her options for a moment, pondering what Crookshanks would have done in her situation. Finally, she rubbed her head against his hand, prompting a pleased smile from her intended caregiver. It seemed to have been the right thing to do, as George scooped her up happily, cradling her against his chest. “Thank you, mum,” he said, rocking her softly. “She’s amazing. It is a  _ she _ , right?”

Before Hermione realized what he was doing, he lifted her up, staring at her bottom with furrowed brows. She felt the embarrassment welling up inside her, her body starting to struggle against his grip. To her relief he let her go instantly, her paws connecting with the kitchen floor only seconds later. Merlin. She could only hope that the boys would forget about  _ that  _ little scene when Professor Dumbledore transfigured her back in two years, but somehow she got the feeling that this was only the first embarrassing encounter of many to come. 

“Look at this feisty little kitten, Freddy,” George said, grinning at his brother. “I can tell she’s a right minx.”

Fred grinned back. “Then let’s call her that, because she’ll be  _ our _ little minx.”

Mrs Weasley looked at her sons with raised brows. “Does that mean you will keep her?”

“ ‘Course we’ll keep her,” Fred said, crouching down in front of Hermione. “Not sure if we  _ deserve _ her, but we’ll definitely keep her,” he announced, flashing her his white teeth. “She’s ours now,” he announced, scooping her up, like his twin had done before. For a moment Hermione felt herself stiffen, reluctant to trust the notorious prankster. She would not have any other choice though, Hermione realized, before her thoughts were interrupted by his fingers caressing the fur between her ears. Hermione purred, her body involuntarily relaxing in his arms. This really wasn’t so bad, she thought. Whether she liked it or not, she would have to trust those two redheads because for all intents and purposes she  _ was _ theirs, at least for the next two years. And she didn’t know if she was relieved or terrified at that prospect.


	2. Building trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it’s time for a furry little update. What do you say?
> 
> This chapter was kindly betaed by nautilicious. Thank you for helping out, my friend. 
> 
> I also had some fluffy input from moonfairy13, my Queen of Fluff.

Somehow Hermione had not expected to end up right at the dinner table, having her own little plate right between the twins. There had been a disapproving look from Mrs Weasley, the woman starting to lecture her twins about the appropriate place for a pet, which was not the table. Hermione could see Fred and George deflate, their postures hunching ever so slightly, before lifting her down again, onto Fred's lap. In the end she was not allowed to sit on the table, but Mr Weasley smilingly transfigured a chair for her, making it high enough for her to reach the table.

“There you go, boys,” he said, ruffling his twins’ heads as he passed them on his way back to his seat. Hermione watched their interaction interestedly, warmth blooming in her chest as she witnessed this tender moment between Mr Weasley and his sons. She had always known him to be kind, but whenever she was present at the meals, he had not acted anything like… this. 

“Brilliant!” George exclaimed, placing a small plate in front of her. “Thank you, dad! Wouldn’t want our little Minx to feel unwelcome, would we Freddy?”

“Nope,” Fred said, popping the p. “We’re gonna take very good care of her.”

Hermione silently prayed they would, especially as she hoped that taking care of her would include not being pranked or forced to consume any WWW products. Luckily, this particular danger was still far in the future, as they would not start producing most of those dreadful products for almost a year. 

“You have a cat.”

Every head at the table seemed to snap up as Ron entered the dining room, her own head included. She could feel her heart pick up speed now that she saw him again and, even though the redhead was now much younger, that persistent crush she had on him resurfaced immediately. Fourth year was the year she started to fall in love with him, even though she had tried to distract herself from those hopeless feelings by dating Viktor Krum. It had been one of her less brilliant ideas, she had to admit. Luckily her new appearance was good for one thing: even if she felt like she was blushing, it would be impossible for anyone to tell. Being a cat had its small mercies. 

“So we do, brother dear,” Fred said, showing his brother a toothy grin. “Problem? You’ve got an owl now, after all.”

Hermione winced internally. She had forgotten about Pigwidgeon, but yes, Ron had received the owl from Sirius, because he’d lost Scrabbers at the end of their third year. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with that traitor and trying to refrain herself from hunting him down, like Crooks had. 

At first it looked like Ron was about to say something, but after a moment he just huffed, sitting down at the far end of the table. “Exactly,” he grumbled while looking at his brothers suspiciously. “Keep that thing away from Pig. Bad enough that I will have Hermione’s beast chasing after my owl at Hogwarts.”

Somehow it felt like he had just dumped a bucket of cold water over her head. Before she knew what was happening she could feel the hair on her back turn up, a low dangerous rumble escaping her, as she looked at the insensitive prat with narrowed eyes. Gods, how she wished to give that idiot her piece of mind, tell him that Crooks was no beast and that he knew perfectly well Crooks’d had good reason to pursue Wormtail, the traitor. But there was nothing for it.

“Easy now, lovely,” George murmured soothingly, his large hand coming to rest on her back. “He’s a bit of a prat, that one. Don’t mind him. Most of the time he’s just jealous.”

Somehow those gentle, hushed words really made her feel better, maybe because for once someone indeed took her side, supporting her. 

“Apart from that, he tends to seek fault with anyone but himself, even if that means ignoring some facts,” Fred supplied helpfully, his hand joining George’s on her body. They were heavy, but somehow feeling them on her felt good, reassuring. It made the disappointment she felt because of Ron lessen, calming her body. 

“That’s a good girl,” George murmured, his fingers gently caressing the fur between her ears. Then he turned towards Ron, saying: “See? Our little Minx here is well behaved. She’s a clever one.”

At that, Ron shrugged. “That’s just a  _ cat _ , you idiots. Stop treating it like it’s human,” he said, staring at the chair Mr Weasley had just transfigured for her. Hermoine could not help herself. She stared back at him, unblinkingly. Ron started to nervously shift on his chair. “Well, whatever. Just keep her away from me, and Pig,” he grumbled, before starting to shovel some food on his plate. 

Slowly, Hermione deflated.

“See?” Fred whispered on her other side, his mouth coming close to her ear. “This one only barks. He doesn’t bite,” he explained, before straightening again, his hand leaving her back. 

“Don’t pay him any mind, or the annoying little pigeon he calls an owl. They’re both a nuisance, I know, but they are still family,” George explained, before he followed Fred’s example and started to transfer some food to his plate. “Beef?” he asked, looking at her like he expected some sort of answer. 

Hermione shifted, her ear flicking once, twice as she looked at him contemplatively. Then she meowed, causing Ron to spit out his pumpkin juice and Fred to whoop in delight. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Hermione didn't know what to think. Which wasn't normal for Hermione, who usually liked to know what she thought at all times.

She had settled her kitty form into the basket that Mrs Weasley had put down on the floor for her between the twins' beds, but she hadn't been allowed to stay in there for long. As soon as he had come back from brushing his teeth, Fred had scooped her into his arms and nuzzled her head with his cheek.

"Come on, lovely," he had whispered into her ear. "I'm catnapping you before Georgie has the same idea. He can have you tomorrow night."

Fred's breath had tickled the hairs in her right ear, and Hermione flicked it once or twice, which led to him giving her a kiss on the top of her head instead. Seconds later, she had felt herself being turned upside down in his arms, and carried into his bed as if she was a baby. That position, she would come to learn, was the one that Fred and George would both come to favour in carrying their new friend around. She would, over the course of the next few months, be carried around upside down in the arms of the twins and taken to family meals, quidditch games and prank planning sessions in their tree house. But tonight, it seemed, was about snuggling. A few moments later, Hermione found herself experiencing the strangest combination of feelings. She was pressed to Fred's chest, wrapped in his arms and she could feel his warm breath skittering across her fur each time he exhaled.

At first she tried to wiggle away. Because seriously, she was sharing a bed with Fred and even though there was probably no more innocent way to do so than having been transformed into a cat, she could still feel him, and smell him. Hell, how would she explain this to him, once she had turned back? They barely knew each other and one could hardly say they were friends, and now she was in a very intimate situation with him. Would he be angry when he found out the truth? Good Godric, what if he thought she’d fancied him and had therefore used the situation to her advantage? She did not want him to feel violated by her, like Ron had after the Pettigrew-incident, knowing that she had been there the whole time. What a mess.

“Easy now,” Fred whispered, his chest rumbling against her back. “I’m not gonna squish you, I promise.” 

As if he was trying to soothe her, his hand was back in her body, this time carefully stroking her side. Slowly she felt her tension melt away, her cat instincts taking over, stopping her train of thoughts and dulling the panic that had threatened to overcome her. How was it that his touch had such an effect when it should have made her actually feel the opposite? Hermione pondered the thought, while carefully considering her options. She had no other choice than being here, even if that meant invading the twins’ privacy. Still, she would never seek them out on her own and she would definitely keep her eyes and ears to herself, whenever privacy was needed. It was the least she could do for them, after they had so generously taken her in.

“That’s much better,” Fred praised her, when the first accidental purr had left her. “Georgie and I rarely had anything that was just for us, you know? Everyone who thinks we’re not gonna take good care of you is an idiot. You’re ours, little Minx, and therefore there’s nothing for you to be afraid of. We’ll always protect you, you know?”

She could not answer, of course, but luckily Fred did not expect her to. Instead he kept stroking her fur, even after George had entered the room and they had turned off the lights. And Hermione realized that she loved it. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. The Quidditch World Cup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here’s the next fluffy chapter for you. There’s a small cliffy at the end though. You therefore might want to wait until you tackle this. 
> 
> I am also meddling with the rules of time-travel a little. I have to, to make this story work. I hope you don’t mind.
> 
> Thank you EmiliaVBlake for alphaing and nautilicious for betaing this chapter. Your help means a lot to me. 

Hermione of course already knew what to expect from the Quidditch World Cup and if she’d had any choice, she’d just have stayed at the Burrow. She did not particularly care about Quidditch and she remembered the horrible events afterwards only too well. And a riot of Death Eaters was nothing she wanted to encounter while she was trapped in the form of a cat. But Fred and George were determined to take her along, they always did when they were headed to an  _ adventure _ , and so there was no escape for her. 

The twins took her with them, George cradling her against his chest as the portkey activated, yanking them forward towards the huge camping ground. It was strange seeing her past self walking alongside Harry, Ron and Ginny, eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. Back then she’d had no idea how things would end at the World Cup, but this time she knew and she could not help but press tighter against George’s warm body, seeking comfort and reassurance. She could only hope she’d be alright, because she already knew that the others would be. 

Still, seeing her younger self was the strangest thing, not only because she had been way more innocent back then. Those last two years had hardened her, but Hermione had not realized it until she had watched herself act around the boys. Old Hermione acted with a lightheartedness that she had lost somewhere between helping Harry through the Triwizard Tournament, losing Cedric and living through a year of Umbridge’s tyranny. 

But that actually wasn’t what occupied her mind. Hermione had always wondered what would happen, when old Hermione saw her kitten-form, because as far as she knew, Fred and George never  _ had _ a kitten at school. Therefore she had impatiently waited at the Burrow, counting the days until she knew  _ her other self  _ would arrive. When she finally did, kitten-Hermione waited with a thudding heart, nervous to see what happened. 

Today, she knew. As soon as she had met herself, she had felt her memories shift. From one second to another she suddenly  _ remembered _ seeing her kitten-form with Fred and George, only that she knew it had never really happened - but now it had. It was the strangest thing. 

“Those portkeys are nasty things,” George murmured, pulling her back into the present. “They make your tummy feel all jumbled, don’t they? But you’ll soon feel better again, promise.” 

Hermione had long gotten used to them talking to her like that, even though she barely had the chance to give any reaction to their words. The twins did not seem to mind though, as they kept treating her like the intelligent being she was. Maybe it was because they had found her roaming through their school stuff a few times. She had not been able to help her curiosity and luckily the twins had not been upset with her at all.

The Quidditch World Cup was much like she remembered it, only that this time she had a raised interest in watching Viktor and the chair where she knew Barty Crouch Junior was seated. He truly was well-hidden, she found, her eyes unable to detect even a hint of the man. But she thought she could smell him and it took all her willpower to stay close to Fred and George and not walk to the chair,  _ accidentally _ pulling the Invisibility Cloak from the man’s shoulders. 

Then, the match was over and Hermione found herself being carried around again as Fred and George collected their prize money from Ludo Bagmann, celebrating their big coup as they had no idea they’d just been tricked. They would learn soon enough, Hermione knew, only that they would never get their money back, at least not from that shady character. She felt sorry for them, as she already knew how devastated they’d be, believing that their dream of an own joke shop had just been crushed. But there was nothing she could do and in the end things would be alright, she knew. 

The rest of the evening was spent celebrating, Fred and George animatedly discussing Bulgaria’s latest Quidditch moves while drinking hot chocolate. Hermione was careful to stay as close to them as possible, only leaving them if she had the urge to relieve herself in the forest before hastily returning to one of the twin’s laps. They always welcomed her with a tender smile, their long fingers immediately moving back to stroke her, no matter how busy they were discussing the game or plotting the future of their joke shop. To her surprise they already had very detailed plans at this point in time, not only about some of the products they planned to create but also about the design of the shop. Hermione had not been aware that they had planned their future in such detail at such a young age, but now that she knew, she could not help but marvel at their dedication and persistence. They  _ really _ wanted this. 

“Alright, off to bed now, you lot!” Mr Weasley suddenly exclaimed, shooing the animated teenagers and young adults into their tents. Last time, Hermione had slept with Ginny in the girl’s tent, but this time she followed the boys inside, hopping onto Fred’s cot that was right below George’s in the back of the tent. She was soon joined by the redhead, who crawled onto the mattress right next to her, smiling boyishly. 

“Wasn’t that a fun day, Minx?” he whispered, not sounding sleepy at all. “Quidditch is the coolest thing ever, don’t you think?”

She did not, but she went for a purr and a headbutt as a reply. George chuckled. “Can’t wait to show you our joke shop, you know? You could sit with us at the sales counter or stay back in the workshop, if you prefer to have a bit of solitude. It will be  _ amazing _ , you’ll see.”

She wouldn’t, Hermione realized, as she would be transformed back by Professor Dumbledore before the twins would have managed to build up the shop. And who could say if they would still be willing to talk to her, or spend time with her, once they found out that she’d slept in their beds and was aware of all their secrets. She could not say which they’d find worse…

Somehow Hermione must have fallen asleep, as she was suddenly jerked awake by George, who had sprung out of bed, awoken by the screams and shouts outside. For a moment she felt paralyzed with fear, but then George’s warm hands wrapped around her body, lifting her up and carrying her close to his chest.

“Sounds like there’s a riot outside,” Fred murmured, looking at his father for direction. 

Mr Weasley walked into the tent, shaking Harry and Ron awake. “Wake up, boys. It’s urgent! Quickly, dress yourself and get outside.”

Fred and George did not even question him. Hermione felt herself being put down while the boys hastily threw on their clothes. She stayed as close as she could, shifting around their legs without actually looking at them change. Soon, she was back in George’s arms, the boy carrying her outside, following his father and his brothers. Outside, was madness. Several tents were already on fire and there were screams and several flashes of light, accompanied by something that sounded like thunder. Hermione shuddered, the hair on her back starting to stand up as her agitation rose. 

“It’s alright, girl. I have you,” George murmured and for a moment Hermione seemed to lose track of what was happening, her animalistic instincts overrunning her logical thinking. The next thing she knew was that they were moving towards the forest - Harry, Ron and the other Hermione running behind them. It was not long until they reached the first group of trees, as their tents had been close and the twins were moving fast - too fast. Without forewarning George stumbled, probably across one of those blasted roots on the ground, which were impossible to see in the darkness. Before she knew what was happening she flew forward, out of George’s arms and onto the ground. There was a curse and then a sharp pain as one foot caught her, crushing her limb and torso. She screamed in pain. 

“Minx? Minx!” she heard Fred shouting, but it took several moments until someone lit a wand, finding her on the ground. “She’s hurt!”

She was - badly. Her whole lower body was in pain and she knew she would not be able to get up, as one of her legs was broken. 

“Fuck, George! Look at her leg!” 

“Boys?” This was Ginny, her voice sounding small and urgent. “We can’t stay here. Please, we need to keep moving. Just… pick Minx up or something. I’m sure dad’ll be able to help her, just not  _ now _ .”

Hermione knew the girl was right, as she could feel the earth tremble below her body, the shouts and lights coming closer. They could not stay, but the thought of being touched in her state, lifted and carrier around terrified her. This was going to hurt, a lot.

Fred seemed to think the same, as she heard him curse as he kneeled down next to her. “Gods, but we can’t just… she’s in  _ pain _ . Can’t you see?”

“ ‘Course we can,” George answered, his voice laced with guilt. “But Gin’s right. We can’t do anything for her and we can’t stay here. Her only chance is taking her with us, because we surely can’t leave her  _ here _ .”

Fred sent his twin a dark look. “ _ I’m _ going to carry her. You’ve done enough for the night,” he growled before his hands gently slipped below her. “I’m sorry, love. This is going to hurt,” he apologized before he lifted her up. Hermione hissed in pain. “Sorry. Sorrysorrysorry,” her protector said as he got up, gently holding her in his arms. “I’ll move as carefully as I can. We’ll get you back to our dad as soon as we can. He’ll know what to do. He always does.”

Hermione made a pitiful sound in return as they started moving. She really hoped that Fred was right, about his father. Because in her transfigured, helpless form it was the only thing she could do - and she hated it. 


	4. Helpless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You’re getting the next chapter early, because I did not want to let you hanging with all that angst. This is a fluffy, happy story, after all. ;-)
> 
> Thank you EmiliaVBlake for alphaing this and nautilicious for being a helpful and kind beta. I’m so glad to have your support for this story. 

“You shouldn’t have dragged the poor animal here, in the first place,” Charlie Weasley scolded, staring at his brothers with a dark expression. “This cat’s not a toy, she’s a living being. And see what happened!”

It had been the longest hour of Hermione’s life, and probably the most painful one, she mused. It had taken forever until they had left the blasted forest and walked back to their tent and when they arrived, Mr Weasley still was not there. Hermione knew that he still was with Harry and the others. There was no saying how long it would be until he got back.

Luckily Charlie was there and even though he mostly dealt with dragons, he always seemed to have had some interest in magical and non-magical animals, at least that’s what Fred soothingly murmured into her ear, before he handed her over to his older brother, his fingers shaking. 

“We know she’s not a toy,” Fred replied, his face as serious as she’s never before seen it. “We just wanted her with us. Couldn’t just leave her all by herself at the Burrow.”

Hermione would have appreciated the sentiment if she wasn’t in so much pain. Would Charlie’s methods even work on a transfigured human, whatever they were? She wasn’t  _ really _ an animal, after all. 

Charlie did not say anything to that, as he had started examining her with furrowed brows. “I’ll cast a few basic diagnostics. Then we’ll see what I can do.”

The twins nodded, while Hermione just stared at the older redhead. She had no idea if she could trust him, as she’d never even seen him until a few days ago. Not that she had any choice here, as waiting another hour or so felt almost impossible.

“Hold still, lovely,” Charlie murmured, his brown eyes fixing her with kindness. “I will try not to hurt you.” 

She did not blink, just stared at him while his spells washed over her. When he finally started to cast healing charms, Hermione could slowly feel her body relax, the pain in her limbs and lower body dulling until it was much more bearable. 

“I’m afraid this is all I can do for you,” he murmured, his large calloused hand reaching out to caress her head. Hermione let him do it, thankfulness and relief watching over her, making her feel dizzy. “At the Burrow I have some of my healing potions. They’ll hopefully take care of the rest of the injuries. But it will be a little while longer until we’re there.”

Hermione rubbed her head against his hand and for a moment Charlie’s eyes fixed her in surprise. As soon as their eyes met, she realized she’d probably made a mistake. He wasn’t her caregiver and maybe she should not have been too trusting with him. But after what he’d just done for her she could not help but want to express her gratitude towards him. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


It was a few hours later when they were finally back at the Burrow, Mrs Weasley fussing over Harry and the rest of them with a worried expression. Word of the horrible events had already reached her, as news in the Order travelled fast and the Weasley clock would have informed her that her family was in danger. 

Hermione was hastily brought to the twins’ room, Fred putting her down into her basket with a grim and sorrowful expression. He and George had barely spoken ever since her accident and it was not difficult for her to sense the tension between the twins. They would surely have words sooner or later, but tired and sore like Hermione was, she hoped they would do it somewhere else. All she wanted was rest here in peace, hoping that the pain would soon go away. But it wasn’t to be.

“Alright,” Charlie’s voice came from the door. “Now let’s see what we can do for you, Kitten.” Hermione just looked at him, her heart starting to beat agitatedly in her chest. Would he be able to help her? Would it hurt? Would his potions even work? And would he grow suspicious if they didn’t?

Hermione could see Fred and George moving aside, their faces gloomy while Charlie walked into the small room, kneeling down in front of her. Against her will her body started to shake, her eyes focussing him nervously. 

“No need to be afraid, Kitten. I thought we were friends already? Look, I’ve brought you a healing potion. It might taste a little funny, but it’ll make you feel better, you’ll see.”

Carefully he showed her his hands and the little pipette he had filled with a reddish potion. She could not identify it, but that probably should not have come as a surprise. The question was if she should risk taking it or better find a way to contact the Headmaster.

“Be a good girl and come here, yeah?”

Hermione stared at him, not moving a muscle as her mind still went through her options. There was no way for her to make it to Hogwarts like this, not in her wounded state or while being transfigured into a helpless kitty. Floo powder did not work, as long as one was unable to speak. 

With an internal sigh she got up, walking towards the dragon tamer on shaky legs. Charlie watched her with a kind smile and as she reached him he transfigured a little bowl for her, dripping the potion inside. “Drink this, lovely,” he murmured, his large hand petting her head. “It should take care of your pain.”

Hermione stared at him for a long moment, but finally she decided to make a leap of faith and drink. She licked the bowl empty without hesitation, noting the bitter taste without being too bothered by it. She’d had worse in her second year and as long as it helped…

Hermione could not finish her train of thought as she suddenly felt her body growing heavy, her legs giving out below her. Was that supposed to happen? She did not know and before she could look at Charlie for an answer, her mind was clouded with darkness, oblivion taking over. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“This is all your fault, you idiot.”

For a moment Hermione had difficulty recognizing the voice that had woken her. Her brain was still clouded from the potion and as Fred and George almost sounded alike…

“You should have been more careful while carrying her or…” the voice broke off, but it had said enough that Hermione knew that it was Fred who was speaking. 

“It was fucking dark in that forest and we were running, Fred!” George defended himself, his voice sounding angry. “The same could have happened to you, brother. There were roots and shrubs everywhere!”

She’d never heard them argue, not once. But here they were, glaring at each other, their arms crossed in front of their chests while arguing about  _ her _ . 

“You know, maybe it really was a mistake to take her with us,” George said, his eyes focussing back on her. That was when he realized she was awake. “Minx,” he whispered, brown eyes looking at her full of worry. “Are you… do you need anything? Water maybe? Or milk?” 

He got up from his spot, dashing from the room, because he wasn’t really expecting an answer from her. Soon he was back, placing several dishes in front of her on the floor, staring at her with a hopeful expression. “Come on love. Your body needs the energy to recover.”

He was probably right, Hermione mused. But she did not feel like eating at all. All she wanted to do was sleep, hoping that the funny feeling in her stomach and the throbbing pain in her lower body would finally go away. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


The next time Hermione awoke she was warm - very warm and very comfortable. Blinking her eyes open she realized she was no longer in her basket, but in Fred’s bed, both twins sandwiching her between them. She had no idea how  _ that _ had happened, but from what she could tell at least George was asleep, his breath slow and steady. 

Slowly Hermione moved her limbs, realizing that the pain and soreness were gone. Thank Godric. She really did feel better.

“Minx.” This was Fred. “Are you feeling better?”

Hermione looked up at him, his dark brown eyes seeming huge in the darkness. She really wished she could talk to him now, let him know that she felt better and that she did not blame him or George for what had happened. But with the limitations placed on her by the headmaster, it was difficult. She had to try anyway. 

Carefully she got up and leaned into him, her head rubbing against his chest with a purr. Fred broke out into a smile. 

“Good. Brilliant,” he whispered, his eyes shining in the darkness. “We were so worried about you. Neither of us wanted to sleep too far away from you. That’s why we are all bunking here together. I hope you don’t mind?”

Hermione looked at Fred for a long moment. Finally she blinked and rubbed her head against George’s chest as well, making the other twin sigh in his sleep. ‘There, that should do,” she thought, before lying down again, resting her head on her paws. 

Fred chuckled, his hand reaching for her back, petting her fur. “I’ll take that as a no,” he whispered, before closing his eyes with a sigh. “I’m glad you’re alright. Would have never forgiven George, or myself, if something happened to you. We’ll be more careful in the future, Minx. I swear.”

Hermione purred, content. 

In another life she’d find it strange to sleep like that, sandwiched between not one but two Weasleys. But right now she couldn’t find it in herself to care. It’s not like Fred and George even realized she was a human and therefore had second thoughts, or like she fancied either of them. No, they were just seeking comfort with each other, nothing more. And what could be wrong about that?

  
  



	5. Friends and Suitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Here’s your next furry chapter. Happy Sunday!
> 
> Nautilicious has taken time to find and correct my mistakes again, while EmiliaVBlake functions as my morale support and sounding board. Thank you, my friends. 

Hogwarts had always been a second home to Hermione and over the last couple of weeks, she had found herself looking forward to her return to the castle. That was before she realized how many  _ cats _ there were. She’d barely set a foot in the castle as they started to stalk her, the females sniffing her out full of animosity while the males… good Godric! On the first day, there were three tomcats following her and trying to get her attention. She had thought that teenaged boys could be ridiculous, but this… She’d never complain about her fellow students again. On the second day, there were  _ five _ , two of them proudly presenting her with a dead mouse as a token of their… affection? No, there sure could not be anything like that, as to Hermione it was pretty clear what those cassanovas were after. By Circe, she was not going to lose her virginity through being pounced on by a tom in heat, this was just  _ not happening _ . But preventing such was easier said than done, since persistent was not even starting to describe their behaviour.

“Our Minx seems to have quite a number of devoted admirers,” Fred observed after Hermione had fled to his shoulder on her third day in the castle. Her twins seemed to be the only place where she was safe from her unwanted suitors because no amount of hissing or arrogant indifference seemed to discourage them. It only seemed to make matters worse. The twins, however, seemed to keep them at a safe distance. Therefore kitten-Hermione was found carried around by the twins through the castle more often than not. 

“I knew from the first moment that she’s a special one. Those other cats seem to agree. She’s already breaking hearts left and right, our Minx.” He snickered and Hermione dug her claws into his shoulder as a reply, making the redhead stiffen.

“She doesn’t seem very happy with all the attention though,” George observed, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “No wonder. She’s probably still in her cat-teens.” 

“And females of that age seem to be kind of a challenge,” Fred added cryptically, peeling Hermione off his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Kitten. We’ll protect you from those rascals,” the redhead promised, petting her fur affectionately. “We know all the tricks, after all.”

“With us, you’ll be safe, until the right boy comes your way,” George promised, winking at her. “And when he does, we’ll show you all the right places you can have a little privacy.” 

The twins snorted. They meant well, she guessed. Only that day would never come, Hermione thought moodily, not in the next two years.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


There was  _ one _ particular tomcat she did not meet during her first days at the castle, which was quite surprising actually. They shared the same common room, after all. But Crookshanks seemed to avoid her for some reason or stayed close to the  _ other _ Hermione, who was with Harry and Ron at the other end of the common room. She had of course seen glimpses of her cat at the Burrow, but even in the limited space of the wizarding home, he had for some reason given her the wide berth, stalking garden gnomes and mice instead of staying even in the same room as her. Hermione had let him be then, but slowly she wondered if there was a reason for the cat’s behaviour. Because Crooks was a clever one and she could not help but think he avoided her for a reason. 

It was on her fourth day back at the castle that she approached him, right in the middle of the common room. She knew it was a risk, but somehow her curiosity got the better of her. Besides she’d started to miss the company of her clever, furry companion. 

He was sitting with her other self and the boys of course, and while Ron stared at her with something like distrust, the other two watched her curiously as she approached the little group. 

“What’s that  _ cat _ doing here?” Ron asked, wrinkling his nose in her direction. 

Harry’s response was to shrug, while young Hermione leaned down towards her, stretching out her hand in greeting. “Hello Minx,” she greeted her kindly. “Are the twins finally letting you out of their sight?”

She sounded amused and Hermione could not fault her. Ever since the events of the Quidditch World Cup, Fred and George had been reluctant to let her out of their sight, not even at night. At first, she’d found sharing a bed with both boys a little tight, especially as they did not even seem to consider using something like an extension charm, but when George moved back to his own bed after three days, Hermione somehow missed having them both there - which was  _ ridiculous _ of course. She had no claim over either of them, not really. 

When Hermione carefully rubbed her head against her younger self’s leg, she could see Crooks watching her with analysing, yellow eyes. His tail twitched once, twice, before he suddenly leapt from his mistress’ lap, landing right in front of her. There he stood proudly, gazing into her eyes with an inclined head, his whiskers twitching ever so slightly. He was reading her, or at least trying to, Hermione realized and making a quick decision she moved forward, rubbing her head against his side as an offer of peace. Somehow she  _ wanted _ him to like her, or at least accept her.

He did, Hermione learned, as the tomcat mirrored her action and rubbed his head against her body, winding his tail around hers. 

“Are they just…” Harry started, staring at both of them in confusion. “Making friends?” 

“Dunno,” Ron replied, not sounding like he cared. “As long as they don’t start teaming up against Pig…” he mumbled, focussing his attention back on some article featuring the Quidditch World Cup. 

‘Ron and his stupid owl’, Hermione mused, following Crooks to his spot on the sofa. There she laid down, right next to him, her head resting on his side. Her cat let her do it, accepting her in his space without question. 

“Looks like our Minx has just picked herself a cat-friend,” George observed, his eyes crinkling with amusement. 

“Why am I not surprised she picked the cleverest cat in the castle?” Fred added, pulling his brother onto a sofa right across from them. “I bet that’s the beginning of a great friendship.”

It was. More often than not Crooks was seeking her out in the common room, showing his affection by carefully grooming her fur. It only took one day of Crooks proudly flanking her, until her unwanted suitors started to leave her alone, probably assuming that she picked herself a mate. Only that Crooks never tried anything and more than once Hermione suspected that he knew who she was. She could not know for sure of course but Hermione found that she had never loved her cat as much as in that very moment. She couldn’t have hoped for a better ally because having Crooks there at her side, made her feel a little less awkward and lonely.

  
  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Do you plan on bringing your cat to every lesson now, Messrs Weasley?” 

Professor McGonagall said, her green eyes staring at her disapprovingly. It was her first lesson of Transfiguration this year and Hermione was more than glad that Fred and George had decided to attempt a NEWT in the subject. What she had not been prepared for, was her Professor’s watchful eyes. 

“It’s not forbidden to bring her,” Fred answered her. “We’d know if it was. Minx is very intelligent, ma’am. She’ll be no bother at all.”

“We’ll see about that,” her Professor replied, before turning back to the class. From time to time Hermione felt those sharp, green eyes focus back on her, studying her like she was part of a very interesting puzzle. It probably was only a matter of time until the cat-animagus figured out that something was amiss, therefore Hermione was extra careful to behave as undisruptive and cat-like as possible. Her luck lasted until the evening. She was just about to walk outside to relieve herself, as she was suddenly followed by her Head of the House, who stared at her with a grim expression. 

“Let us not make this any more difficult as it needs to be. I can spot a cat-animagus if I see one. Who are you? Show yourself!”

Hermione froze, staring at the older witch with wide terrified eyes. There was no way she could do as she was told, as she had not transformed herself and therefore did not know how to undo the transfiguration. 

“No?” the Professor asked, her voice sharp and dangerous. “As you wish. We can also do this my way.” Before Hermione had time to react, the woman pointed her wand at her, murmuring: “ _ Detego _ .” 

The effect was instant. As soon as the blue spell connected with her cat-form she started to shift back, her limbs growing and forming, until her naked but human body stood there,  swaying awkwardly before stumbling, until she sat in front of the Professor in the grass. She’d gotten so used to having her weight distributed on four feet, that it suddenly felt strange only having two. 

“Miss Granger?” the older witch asked, her voice laced with disbelief. “But you’re…” She pointed towards the castle, brows furrowed in concentration. “I think you owe me a very good explanation.”

Hermione nodded, noting her Professor hastily transfigure some clothing for her.. “I could not shift back, because I am not an Animagus, Professor. I was transfigured, you see?” 

Professor McGonagall blinked in confusion. “Transfigured? By whom?” she asked, while Hermione hastily put in the wide jumper and jeans the woman offered to her.

“That would be me, my dear.” Neither had seen the headmaster approaching and later Hermione asked herself if he’d probably been there the whole time. 

“You, Albus?” the Professor said, her arms folded angrily in front of her chest. “That’s… I hope you have a very good explanation, Albus. Because I want to hear it  _ now _ !”

Hermione shivered and it wasn’t from the cold. She’d never seen Professor McGonagall so furious and she thanked her lucky stars that she wasn’t the one receiving this icy stare. At least not for now.

  
  
  
  


  
  



	6. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake
> 
> Beta by Nautilicious

“So, transfiguring a student into a cat and giving her to the  _ Weasley twins _ was the best thing you could come up with,” Professor McGonagall said, staring at the Headmaster with raised brows. “ _ Have you completely lost your mind? _ Seriously, Albus, I cannot believe you. I do understand the necessity to keep Miss Granger hidden and also to make sure she does not … ah… influence her own timeline. But like this?”

She shook her head, looking at Hermione with a mixture of pity and something she could not quite decipher. 

“I also do not understand why you did not trust me with this.” She looked at both of them. “ _ I _ could have taken her in, I would have done so gladly, but for that, it is too late now. You have established her as the twins’  _ pet,” _ she said disapprovingly, “but making her disappear now would be cruel nonetheless. Every idiot can see how happy they are having her.”

Hermione sighed. Yes, the situation was not ideal, but somehow she’d still gotten used to it. She told the Professors as much. The Headmaster nodded, his eyes twinkling encouragingly, while Professor McGonagall shook her head, her forehead in deep wrinkles.

“I still dislike the idea of you being defenceless, Miss Granger. Being trapped in a cat’s body can come as a big disadvantage. Black is still out there, Albus, and who knows what other dangers will await us? The events of the Quidditch World Cup have shown that there are still people out there, supporting You-Know-Who. Who knows if one of them will find their way into the castle?” 

Hermione shuddered. It felt strange to only have her human skin again, where a shudder didn’t make her hair stand on end and her tail stiffen. She did not want to be reminded of the World Cup, but Professor McGonagall was right. Not having the option to change back and defend herself could be dangerous. 

“Now, now, Minerva. Hogwarts is quite safe, I assure you. As long as she stays away from the creatures that are brought in for the tournament and does not start bugging Severus, she should not be in any sort of danger.” He twinkled at her good-naturedly. Hermione would have almost believed him, only that she  _ knew _ he was wrong. There was an intruder in the castle this year, only could she not tell them, no matter how much she wanted to. 

“Be that as it may, Albus. I will still teach her, that is, if Miss Granger agrees.” Professor McGonagall turned towards her, studying her with a serious expression. “You are missing out enough of the lessons as it is. Come to my quarters three times a week and I will help you catch up on the practical aspect of transfiguration. Maybe becoming an Animagus would also be something you’re interested in. You might not turn out to be a cat, but you’d still be able to move around without being discovered, while still being able to defend yourself should you stumble into some sort of danger. It would not be the first time, after all.” The Professor smiled crookedly. 

“That’s… I’d love to learn whatever you’re willing to teach me, Professor. I’ll work hard and… and will not disappoint you,” Hermione promised enthusiastically. 

“I know you will not,” her Head of the House said in a clipped tone. “You never have.”

  
  


Sssssss

  
  


“We didn’t make it into the tournament,” Fred grumbled, cradling kitten-Hermione against his chest, while hiding with George behind the curtains of his four-poster bed. “This was our chance to get enough money to start our own business, but…” He broke off, voice heavy with disappointment. 

“I know,” George agreed with a sigh. “We’re smart, Freddy. Either of us could have won this. It’s only a few months until we’re 17 anyway. I mean,  _ Harry’s _ in the Tournament now and they’re letting him stay. Not that I plan on making a fuss about it like certain people; Merlin, no. He’s in and we’re not, no reason to be a bad sport about it.”

Fred nodded, distractedly rubbing Hermione’s back. “No, never that. Have to keep up the tradition of being the most thoughtful Weasleys. Harry didn’t look like he wanted to participate anyway. It just feels like our dream is more and more out of reach.”

For a long time, no more words were spoken, but somehow Hermione got the impression that still some silent communication was going on between the two. Fred and George seemed to have a way to just know each other’s thoughts, not only by ending each other’s sentences like they tended to do. There was something more here, only Hermione could not point her claw at it right now. 

She felt for them, as their disappointment was visible now that they were hidden from the other’s eyes. While being in the Great Hall they had been all cheers and supporting grins, a masquerade that fell away as soon as the bed-curtains were closed. Now it was only them, they  _ thought _ , and for once Hermione got to witness a vulnerable side that no one else ever got to see. The realization made her heart jump in something like excitement. With Fred and George Weasley, there was more than what met the eye, there was a vulnerable and serious side to them she hadn’t been aware existed. But here it was, showing in the way Fred and George held each other like they needed the other twin as some sort of life-line. 

There wasn’t much Hermione could do to cheer them up or help them. Things would get better, she knew, when the school year was over. Until then all she could do was being there for them, sandwiched between their bodies, rubbing her head against their chests and purring, signalling that she understood, that she was there. It wasn’t much, but it was all she could do now and when the boys slowly fell asleep, bodies relaxing, she felt that it still maybe was enough. 

  
  


Sssssss

  
  


Getting private lessons from Professor McGonagall was brilliant, even though it meant that Hermione had to sneak out of the common room three times a week. The twins always let her go, even though she could see them look at her with furrowed brows a few times. Sometimes Crooks escorted her to Professor McGonagall’s office door, probably going about his own business as soon as she’d entered the room. 

“They’re probably just shagging somewhere,” Fred said one day when she and Crooks left once more; and while Crooks simply ignored the comment, it took all her willpower not to shake her head in protest in a very human way. Sweet Merlin, that was what they were thinking? Absolutely ridiculous. In fact, they could not have been further away from the truth. 

Everything was going well until Harry’s name was drawn for the Goblet of Fire. She’d of course known that it would happen and therefore she was totally unphased by the uproar in the Great Hall. Instead, she had time to study people’s reactions, especially Barty Crouch Junior’s, who was sitting right next to Professor Snape. She had to admit, the Death Eater was indeed a very good actor and watching him now she realized that it was no wonder that the man had only been discovered when it was already too late. 

Oh, how she’d love to expose him or prevent Harry touching the damned portkey that took him and poor Cedric to the graveyard.  Now she could see that Professor Dumbledore had indeed transfigured her to help her keep her impulses in check. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been able to resist changing the timeline because seriously, wouldn't stopping You-Know-Who’s resurrection be worth risking deleting herself from the timeline? Would saving Cedric’s life be worth it? And who said that this would even happen? As long as her younger self was fine, she would be as well, wouldn’t she? 

She did not know but she guessed she would have to trust Professor Dumbledore. He was older and wiser than she was, and he had studied time turners and the possible effects of time-travel much more thoroughly than she had. If he thought she needed to be prevented from meddling with time, then it was probably true. 

Her suspicion was confirmed sooner than she had expected. She had barely entered Professor McGonagall’s office the following night when the woman transfigured her back, staring at her with green, analyzing eyes. 

“Do you know anything about how Mr Potter’s name came to be in the Goblet of Fire?” she asked, her voice dead serious. 

Hermione shifted nervously on her feet. “I do,” she admitted, her voice sad. “I swear that he did not put his own name into the Goblet. But I’m afraid I cannot say much more about that. I cannot change what happens this year, no matter how desperately I want to.”

The Professor looked at her with a pained expression. “I assume there’s a specific reason you’d like to change events.”

“There is. Still, meddling with time is dangerous, forbidden even. No matter how much I want to help, I cannot.”

“No, of course,” her Head of the House replied, looking older than Hermione’d ever seen her. “Just tell me one thing, Miss Granger. Will Mr Potter be alright?” 

“Yes, he’ll be alright,” she promised truthfully. “He will get through this, Professor, I promise.”

“Good,” the older witch replied, pushing up her glasses on her nose. “Now, Miss Granger. Tell me what you’ve so far learned about Animagus transfigurations…” she continued and Hermione was only too happy to oblige. Suddenly she realized why each person learning about her true identity was a risk, even Professor McGonagall. Because who was able to resist the temptation of getting answers, when they were right in front of their nose?

  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Silent support

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! I hope you’re all still here with me. The concept is a little strange, I know, but I’m thoroughly enjoying to write kitten-Hermione together with the twins.
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake
> 
> Beta by Nautilicious

“Ron’s an idiot,” George murmured, watching his little brother from the sofa of the common room. Hermione, who was sitting on his lap, licking her paws, did not object. She‘d witnessed him ignore Harry and her other self for several days now and even though he technically still  _ did _ talk to the other Hermione, he rarely had anything nice to say to her. His jealousy was almost impossible to bear. Even his brothers thought so. 

“Yeah. His jealousy makes him unable to see the truth that’s right in front of him,” Fred agreed with a headshake. “He’s always been like that.”

Hermione followed their gaze, realizing that Harry was sitting all by himself in one of the sofas, looking miserable and all alone. The other Hermione wasn’t far away, true, but she was way too distracted by her studies to even talk to him. Had she always been this thoughtless? She sighed internally. She hadn’t been a very good friend either. 

Making a quick decision kitten-Hermione got up, leaping to the ground with a short meow. Her tail raised proudly she walked over, stopping only when she was right in front of her best friend, staring at him in the hope he’d take notice of her.

“Minx.” He looked at her in confusion.

Hermione did not wait for him to react, she simply walked closer, rubbing her body against his leg with another meow. It was only a moment until she felt Harry’s hand on her back and looking up she saw the small smile tucking at his lips. It was all it took for her to make another quick decision and to jump onto his lap, her head rubbing against his chest as a silent encouragement to pet her again. She felt the twins’ and Crooks’ eyes on her, but she didn’t care. She hadn’t been there for Harry then, but she’d be there for him now. 

It wasn’t long until the twins followed her lead, first Fred then George sitting down left and right from Harry, throwing an arm around his shoulder. 

“Are you trying to steal our girl?” Fred asked, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Or are you just trying to make us jealous, Minx?” George added into her directions. “Are these four hands not enough for you?” 

Hermione threw them a questioning look that was received by a chuckle. “I see,” Fred said, with a hum. “You’re just being a good friend, aren’t you?” She blinked, before making herself comfortable on Harry’s lap. 

George chuckled. “Now Harry, any ideas what that first task might be?” he asked and soon the three of them were animatedly talking and Harry’s face was slowly lighting up. Hermione was pleased with herself and for once she felt like she was the friend that Harry deserved. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


From this evening on things got only worse for Harry and no matter how much she wanted to, there was only so much she could do when being trapped in a cat’s body. She had to watch Harry being taunted by those horrible badges, that almost everyone in the castle seemed to wear, well minus most of the Gryffindors. Then, as if that wasn’t enough there was the horrible incident with other Hermione’s teeth being hit by the curse that made them grow and  _ grow _ , making her look like somebody had tried to turn her into a beaver. It was horrible to watch her younger self being humiliated in such a way and even though young Hermione made a brave face when she returned to the Gryffindor Common Room, kitten-Hermione knew how deeply Professor Snape’s words and the other student’s stares and laughs had shaken her self-confidence. The worst was that everyone seemed to have heard of the occurrence, even the Weasley twins. 

“She still looks kind of shaken,” George observed, following her younger self with his eyes. “I feel sorry for her, Freddy.”

Fred nodded, his eyes following young Hermione as she picked out an armchair in the back of the Gryffindor Common Room. “We’ll definitely have to prank Malfoy. Hurting one of ours calls for some payback, don’t you think brother mine?”

“Absolutely,” George said, scratching the stubble that had started to grow on his chin. Hermione’s paws itched to touch it, but she resisted, instead focussing her golden eyes on her younger self who sat hunched over a book. She remembered the evening well and the sting she’d felt at being treated so unfairly, by a Professor of all people. She also remembered how alone she’d felt that day. 

With an encouraging meow she looked at Fred, before she got up, looking at her younger self. She knew that she’d been all alone that evening, but it didn’t need to be that way. Maybe changing the past  _ was  _ a bad idea, she told herself when she casually strolled towards Hermione, her twins in tow. But changing it  _ a little _ surely couldn’t hurt. It was only one evening after all, one evening that she wouldn’t feel all alone and ridiculed. There could be no harm in that, right?

  
  


Sssssss

  
  


“Do you think Granger enjoyed talking to us?” Fred whispered much later, when the three of them were again huddled together in his four-poster-bed, like they did with a growing frequency these days. 

“She seemed like it,” George answered, stretching with a yawn. “She probably was a little surprised we wanted to discuss charms with her. I imagine at first she thought we wanted her help for our homework.”

Hermione purred as a reply. She could perfectly remember the encounter now, her memories having shifted once again as soon as the past had changed. Now she knew that she’d been sceptical at first, fearing to be the victim of a prank. But ever so slowly she had relaxed and started to enjoy discussing something that actually interested her. The twins had been surprisingly knowledgeable on advanced charms work but she guessed they had to be when they had created the fireworks she’d seen when they had bid Hogwarts goodbye. 

“If so she probably soon figured out we don’t need her help for that. We aren’t our idiotic brother who exploits her kindness over and over again. She’ll probably one day realize that he isn’t worth her while,” Fred said, pulling kitten-Hermione against his chest with a sigh. “I mean, at the end of the day it’s none of our business, but he really isn’t a good friend to her, or Harry. Wish he’d finally grow up.”

“I imagine mum is saying the same about us,” George chuckled, sleepily closing his eyes. “One day she’ll understand that we already have and that what we’re doing is following our dream. There’s nothing immature about that, Freddy, and one day she’ll realize it and see us for who we are.”

Hermione blinked, her heart going out for those misunderstood boys. She’d been the same. She’d never understood those two or their dream, but now as she lived with them day by day, witnessing their vulnerability and their twin bond, she did.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“You sure ‘bout this, Freddy?” George said, staring down at the Quidditch pitch with a small smile. It was still there and even though there would not be any official matches between the houses, students still came down to practise, hoping to stay in form for the next Quidditch season. None of the teams wanted to fall behind the others, after all, and training did give them something to do during the weekends, at least as long as the pitch was still in place. Soon enough they’d start to take it down, forcing the students to look for another place for practising Quidditch. “Not that I think it’s a bad idea, but I’m not sure if Granger would approve.”

Minx, as Hermione had started to think of herself from time to time now, stared at George in confusion. What did they plan to do?

“She might or might not,” Fred said, a grin on his face. “But this… bully needs to be taught a lesson. And the pitch is the only place we can get to him without any problems. Don’t fancy being caught by Snape, after all. We could just put a little jinx on Malfoy’s broom, nothing too bad, but enough to humiliate him…”

George nodded. “We could make his broom fly backwards, instead of forward. Or reverse left and right?” he suggested, rubbing his chin. “Would be enough to make him look like an idiot in front of his house-mates and the few  _ fans _ that are watching the training.”

“Reversing sides should do,” Fred said with a grin, watching his twin inconspicuously jinx Malfoy’s broom. “Pity that Granger won’t be able to see it,” he said, petting Minx’ head who had already focussed her eyes on the Quidditch pitch. Watching Quidditch had never been so interesting, she thought, realizing that her older self probably  _ would _ have disapproved of the prank. She did not though, not after Malfoy and the Inquisitorial Squad had made her fifth year a living hell. No, she’d enjoy this, knowing that the twins had done for her what no one else had ever done; and part of her brain registered the warm and fuzzy feeling starting to spread in her chest at the realization, not knowing what to do with it at all. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  



	8. Bugged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for another furry update? Because I am! Writing this is so much fun (as you can probably guess from the frequent updates). Tell me if you want me to slow down. 
> 
> Beta by nautilicious

Hermione was generally a calm and collected person, but seeing Rita Skeeter at the castle and reading the ridiculous article she’d written about Harry did all sorts of things to her. For a while now she suspected that living as a cat that was mostly driven by instinct had caused a certain change in her. Now when she watched Skeeter snoop around the Champion’s tent, first in person, then as a beetle she was sure of it. She hated her with a passion that did not make any logical sense, or maybe it did, she thought, remembering all the hate mail she’d received after one of Rita’s hateful articles about her. 

While Fred and George talked to Charlie, who’d greeted her with a wink and a pat onto the head, Minx watched the Animagus fly towards the tent and land on the door flap. At first only her tail twitched but after a moment she could not resist the urge and leapt from Fred’s arm to carefully creep towards the tent. One well-aimed jump was all it took for her to catch the nasty beetle, her paws holding it in place until she picked it up with her mouth. Rita tried to escape and for a moment she considered letting her go.

“What do you have there, Minx?”

Fred was by her side moments later, looking at her with a curious smile. “Georgie, she’s caught something,” he announced, proudly waving his twin over. George and Charlie joined them moments later, the former staring down at her with a wrinkled forehead.

“ ‘s just a bug, Freddy. She’s probably gonna eat it,” he said with a shrug. Hermione cringed. She surely would not eat Rita, but what else  _ would _ a cat do in her place? She quickly considered her options and with a purr she rubbed her body against Fred’s leg, carefully placing Rita in front of him on the ground. 

“She just made you a gift, little brother,” Charlie said, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “You better accept it, or she’ll be put out by you refusing her attention.”

Fred pulled a face and with two fingers he lifted the beetle, staring at it with narrowed eyes. “It’s still alive,” he said, sounding unsure of what to do. “She doesn’t expect  _ me _ to eat it, right?”

Charlie chuckled. “No, I don’t think she is. Just keep it or a while and thank her properly. She’s only trying to show her devotion to her caregivers.” He twinkled.

George nodded and with a grin he picked a pebble from the ground, transfiguring it into a big jar. Fred stared at it for a moment, then dumped the animagus inside, firmly closing the jar.

“Thank you, Minx,” he cooed, rubbing her ears. “You’re a clever kitty, aren’t you? And such a good hunter, too.”

George chuckled and patted his brother’s shoulder. “We can keep her on our nightstand for now,” he said with a shrug. “At least until Minx loses interest and we can let it go again.”

_ She wouldn’t _ , Minx thought, at least not until the Triwizard Tournament was over. She rubbed her head against Fred’s leg until he picked her up again, cradling her against his chest. Maybe this was meddling with the timeline, but there would be no crass changes other than missing out on a few nasty newspaper articles. The world would keep turning, hopefully with a much happier Hermione and Harry on it. 

  
  


Sssssss

  
  


“I think our Minx got herself a pet,” George chuckled, once he caught her watching Rita in her jar. “Or she’s starting to consider eating it…”

Fred snorted. “I don’t mind either way,” he said, scooping her up, onto his lap. “Minx is a kitty with varying interests. Remember the time we caught her inspecting the contents of our potion kits at home? I was afraid she’d gotten hungry, but she was just curious.”

“And there’s nothing to say against being curious,” George agreed, smiling at her fondly. “We  _ get _ it, Minx, we get you. The world has so many interesting things to offer. Would be a shame not to explore them all.” 

He kissed her onto the head, his evening-stubble tickling her ear. She flicked it once but following her instinct she tipped her head back and gently licked her tongue across his chin. It felt strange and suddenly she felt awkward for having done so in the first place. But then George chuckled, his brown eyes looking at her full of adoration as he said: “Awww, I love you too, Minx.”

Hermione blinked, his words making her insides grow warm and fuzzy. It was the first time she’d heard those words from a boy. Not that George had addressed  _ Hermione _ , of course, only Minx. But a corner of her heart could not help but wish that he had. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“ ‘Mione still hasn’t given up her SPEW campaign,” Ron complained, sitting next to his brothers with a dark look. “This is slowly getting ridiculous,” he said, shaking his head. 

“Ridiculous? Why?” George asked, looking at his little brother with furrowed brows. Minx, who was sitting on Fred’s lap, followed his gaze, because she was very interested in the answer her friend would give. 

“Now she’s knitting little hats for the elves, can you imagine? She’s leaving them all over the common room, hoping to free an elf that accidentally takes them. I mean, that’s ridiculous!”

Minx felt her hair stand up, disappointment over her friend’s behaviour flooding her. So that’s what he thought. He never told her those thoughts in person, probably thinking he was a good friend. But was he really, if he complained about her behaviour in front of his brothers?

“It’s not,” Fred said, his hand coming to rest on her back. He’d, without doubt, felt her agitation and now tried to calm her down. “She’s muggle-born, Ron. To her, those house-elves are an enslaved race, which they  _ are _ . Her heritage makes her see it for what it is, while people like us have never actually questioned that system.”

“But…” Ron stared at his brothers with wide eyes. “You think she’s  _ right? _ ”

George looked at him with a sigh. “She’s definitely not wrong, but I think she goes about it the wrong way. I don’t think tricking the elves into being freed will get her very far. They’ll only despise her for forcing them into something they don’t want yet.”

He actually had a good point, Hermione thought, the tension in her body slowly easing away. Finally she felt calm enough to sit down again and she did so by curling together on Fred’s lap. 

“As her friend, Ron, you could give her some advice here. She’s a logical person, I’m sure she’d listen to you,” Fred encouraged his little brother but Ron only shrugged. 

“Not when she’s like this,” he sighed, shaking his head. “No, better to leave this alone for now. Hopefully she’ll grow tired of this when she realizes that everyone’s just snickering about it behind her back.”

George threw him a dark look. “Stop being an arse about this,” he scolded, shaking his head in disappointment. “You’re her friend. Start acting like it.”

Ron grumbled something unintelligible under his breath before he left the twins and Minx alone, who followed him with a dark expression. She could not help the feeling of disappointment that was gripping her or the thought that she maybe had not known Ron as well as she thought. Maybe it was just that after what she’d been through she started seeing him with different eyes. Those last two years had made her a different, more mature person and maturity was something that, to her surprise, the twins seemed to possess in abundance, while Ron did not seem to have grown up at all. It was strange how a different perspective had changed her view of the world and right now, she did not know what to do with what she’d just learned.

  
  
  
  



	9. Rain and snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your lovely comments, my friends! They make me so happy! I’m reading them all, but I rarely have the time to answer. Sorry. I rather spend the little free time I have writing, which hopefully is fine with you. Me not answering doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate your words of encouragement. But I rather honour them with another quick update. I am so glad that you seem to love this story as much as I do! 
> 
> Thank you nautilicious for betaing this chapter!

Once, Hermione Granger had enjoyed winters at Hogwarts, especially the snow. In Hampstead, they’d had little enough of it and so Hermione had celebrated every little snowflake with a smile, watching her friends make snowball fights or walking across the grounds hidden between layers of clothing and warming charms. 

Now, Minx found, snow was the worst - apart from rain,  _ obviously _ . Rain could drench her within seconds, make her all smelly and sticky and  _ cold _ ; snow didn’t do these things quite so fast but it stuck to her paws, chilling them way too quickly. Her strolls across the grounds morphed to quick toilet breaks before she dashed back inside, warming herself up at the fireplace or, even better, on one of the twin’s laps. Luckily those two were always eager to rub her back and cuddle her; and somehow she was already dreading the days when they no longer would. 

But no, she would  _ not _ think about this now. She still had one and a half more years to soak up their affection and think of a good way to tell them the truth. Even though she was sure Fred and George would be angry, or at least  _ very _ disappointed when their beloved Minx turned out to be an imposter. Her belly was churning with guilt every time they assured Minx of their affection, showing her exactly how much they loved her. She’d take that all from them, no-- worse. She’d show them that their Minx had only been an illusion, a lie, nothing more. 

“Do you think we should ask them to accompany us to the ball?” George asked, scanning the common room with a watchful gaze. 

Fred shrugged. “Dunno. I guess they’d say yes, as they seem to like us well enough. And we’ve been fancying them long enough to give it a shot. Now or never?”

His twin nodded, determination blooming on his face. “Alright. We’ll ask them. Let’s try not to be too obvious about it, though. Wouldn’t want to tip the ladies off.” 

Fred grinned. “Right you are. Off we go,” he said, strolling towards Hermione and her group of friends. Minx did not need to follow. She remembered the evening well enough and even though she hadn’t paid much attention to Fred and George, she remembered their dates for the Yule Ball. Fred had asked Angelina, while George had taken out her friend, Alicia. Back then she had not thought twice about it, but now… They fancied them, had for a while, they said. How had she lived with them for almost half a year now, not knowing? But did it even matter? She had no claim over them, not really. Minx was only a cat and she knew that their devotion for her would be gone, as soon as she shifted back into her human form. Fred and George had never shown any interest in plain, bookish Hermione and she was pretty sure they never would. She needed to start looking reality into the eyes, no matter how much it hurt. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“That went rather well,” George said as they were just readying themselves for bed. He still had a self-satisfied smirk on his face as he buttoned up his striped pyjama, Minx, like usual, making an effort not to look. “Angelina seemed very pleased you asked her, Freddy.”

Fred chuckled. “As was Alicia when you asked her later. Figured she’d be, the way she’s been ogling you during classes.”

The words earned himself a good-natured punch against the arm from his twin. “And I’m lucky she did. This is really happening, Freddy. I’m gonna get the girl and so are you.”

“We’ll see,” Fred said, lifting Minx up to carry her towards his bed. She let him do it, but when he pulled her against his chest with a sigh, she remained impassive, while staring into the darkness. She didn’t know why the twins having a date bothered her so much, but it did and so snuggling into Fred suddenly felt wrong - probably because her heart wasn’t really in it right now as her mind was lost somewhere else.

  
  


Sssssssss

  
  


“Now we only need to ask someone else, to make our evening perfect,” Fred hummed, twiddling his quill between his fingers. “What do you reckon, Georgie? Would she want to go?”

George, who was lazing around on his bed, probably daydreaming about Alicia, shrugged. “Let’s just ask her.”

He leapt to his feet and to Minx’ surprise he walked towards her basked, staring at her with warm, brown eyes. “Hello Lovely,” he said, kneeling down in front of her. “Would you do us the honour of accompanying us to the Yule Ball?”

“You don’t have to stay, if things are getting too noisy for you,” Fred added, slowly walking towards her as well. “But there will be lots of yummy food and we even have an idea for the perfect outfit for you. Look!”

Before Hermione knew what he was doing, Fred held out the piece of parchment he had been drawing on. On it there was a cute little sketch of her, wearing a fancy collar sporting a tear-shaped pendant. It was beautiful.

“You like it?” Fred inquired, trying to read her reaction with furrowed brows. 

Hermione stared at the picture of her unblinkingly. She’d rather not witness Fred and George flirting with their dates and she remembered her last visit to the Yule Ball only too well. She’d had a miserable evening, Ron ruining everything with his jealous attitude and his talk of fraternizing with the enemy. On the other hand, she  _ wanted _ to go, as watching her older self and Viktor dance would maybe distract her from the growing confusion she was feeling. It would also be another chance to be with the twins, maybe even dance with them. No, wait… now she was being ridiculous. 

“Minx?” 

There hadn’t been any reaction from her, as she had just lost herself in her train of thoughts. The twins had expected  _ something _ though, as they now both kneeled in front of her, staring at her full of anticipation. But she could not go. For now she was a cat and even if she wasn’t, those two or even one of them were far out of her reach. She could as well have lost her heart to the moon. 

“Will you come with us? Please?” Fred asked ignorant of what was going on inside her, his brown eyes huge and puppy-like. “We’ll be extra careful, I promise.”

Those eyes really could melt a glacier, she thought, feeling her resistance and resolve slowly melt away. 

“Meow.”

It was all the answer she could give but accompanied with her rubbing her head against the sketch, her intention was hopefully clear enough.

“You’re coming?” George asked, scooping her up to nuzzle her head with his nose. “Brilliant. You’ll not regret this,” he promised, pressing a happy kiss onto her head. 

She probably would, Minx thought, but she’d hate being left behind even more. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


The days before the Yule Ball were a flurry of activity. Most of the girls, including her younger self, were busy with planning their outfit. True, she and her parents had already acquired the dress robes during the summer holidays, but as Hermione had never before shown any real interest in makeup before, she dedicated a substantial amount of her study time to find out how to make herself look less plain and more like a girl. 

Now, two years later, she could only shake her head at the dedication with which she had experimented with different hair products in the girl’s bathroom, attempting to tame her unruly curls into something more refined. It had worked in the end, but after hours of practising Hermione had known, that she would only go to such lengths for special occasions. She simply had no time to waste one hour of her time in the bathroom each morning, as those were the hours she got most of her school work done. 

Now, as she was trapped in Minx’ body, she desperately wished she could go back to those days. More than once she found herself watching young Hermione, imagining to be in her place, asking Fred or George to share a dance with her. She knew that she probably wouldn’t have found the courage to do so, especially as both of them had come with a date, but in her head she did and danced with both wizards at once, her small body sandwiched between their bodies.

She knew it was madness to even consider something that impossible, but it was like some sort of madness had taken hold of her. The closer the event moved, the more she found herself stalking old Hermione, daydreaming over what never could be. At the same time, she watched Fred and George putting their heads together to transfigure her collar and as the days passed and her new collar looked more and more beautiful, she could no longer suppress the growing flutters in her belly. Hermione groaned inwardly. She was in  _ so _ much trouble. 

  
  
  



	10. Hot and cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday, friends! Here is your next, fluffy chapter. I hope you enjoy! Thank you nautilicious for betaing again. 

“You’re taking the cat along,” Ron said dryly as Fred and George walked down the stairs from the boy’s dorms, Minx dressed up in her pretty collar and nestled against Fred’s chest. “You’re completely barmy, that’s what you are.”

Minx felt her hair stand up at Ron’s harsh words, but the twins only looked at him, smiling crookedly. 

“More like good-looking, brilliant, cocky…” Fred replied, swaying her in his arms. “Isn’t that right, Minx? Ickle Ronnekins is only jealous he hasn’t such a pretty, well-mannered girl as a date. Whom are you going with anyway?”

Ron muttered his reply in a volume that was impossible to hear for human ears, stalking off with his head held high. Hermione watched him go, her mood slowly cooling down again as Fred and George found themselves a spot in the common room to wait for their dates. Soon, they were joined by Angelina and Alicia, both girls cooing over how adorable Minx looked. At first, she could feel herself glowing with pride, but later, when Fred and George grinningly led their girls towards the Great Hall she felt like she’d just been utilized to charm Angelina and Alicia; and suddenly Hermione felt like the fifth wheel on a very happy four-wheeler. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


The twins were right, the food really was delicious. The last time she’d barely eaten a bite of it, too busy dancing with Viktor or crying over Ron’s idiocy. This time she had nothing else to do than to let herself be carried around by Fred and George, who generously offered her as much food as she could eat. They kept their promise to take care of her, one of them always holding her high enough so she could watch the students, while the other one danced with his partner. For a while Minx watched them, grinning and flirting until she could not take it any longer and focussed her attention on something else. There was enough for her to see, after all. 

Malfoy held himself like the little prince he thought he was, prancing across the room like he owned the place or dancing with his nose held so high, that it must have been impossible for him so see a thing. He did not stumble once though, his steps elegant and measured in a way that could only be explained by various dancing lessons. Then there was Ron, sulking in a corner, flanked by Harry, who looked like a lost puppy. Their discomfort wasn’t difficult to spot, Harry tugging at his collar every minute while Ron made a face like he permanently had a bad smell in his nose. Suddenly Minx realized that he was watching her younger self, his eyes tracing her and Viktor’s steps across the room. Back then she had not known, assuming that her friend had meant those hurtful but ridiculous words. Now she suddenly got the impression there was more behind this. Could it be that he’d simply been jealous of her popularity this evening? Or even that he’d wished to be in Viktor’s place? 

Two years ago the thought would have thrilled her but now she realized that it no longer did. Whatever the reasons for his behaviour were, Hermione found it immature and even ridiculous. A few days ago he hadn’t even realized she was a girl, so how deep could this affection of his (or whatever this was) be? 

“We’ll take you ladies on a walk outside,” George suddenly announced, pulling her out of her thoughts. “It’s hot in here and I think none of us can eat another bite without starting to roll.”

Fred snickered while starting to walk towards the rose garden. This was a place where Minx did not want to accompany them, not only because of the biting cold, but because of what she might witness there. No, whatever happened tonight, she didn’t want to know. The boys deserved their privacy, as did Alicia and Angelina and she’d really rather not witness them smooching each other in the rosebushes. No thank you. 

Making a noise of protest she leapt out of George’s arms, landing in front of them on the ground a moment later. She made another meow into their direction, staring at the four of them with a calm expression before she turned around, disappearing into the castle. She’d done her duty and accompanied her twins to the Yule Ball, just like they asked her to. Now, they did not need her any longer as she seemed to have served whatever purpose they had in mind for bringing her along. Fred and George were about to get their girls and the last thing she wanted was to get into their way, or so she told herself.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Minx? Whatcha doing here?” 

She’d found her younger self crying in the alcove she remembered, hiding until she’d gotten over Ron’s hurtful words. Back then it had taken her a while to calm down while now everything she felt was disappointment and disbelief over Ron’s petty behaviour. The twins were right. He really  _ was _ an idiot most of the time. 

Minx walked closer with a purr, rubbing her body against young Hermione’s legs in a  _ very _ understanding way. The girl chuckled, even though it sounded like she tried to suppress a sob. 

“Don’t worry lovely. I’ll be better in a minute. It was just all getting a bit too much in there, you know?”

Minx did; she’d been in her place, after all. Young Hermione felt rejected by the boy she’d secretly fancied for some months now,  _ why _ she suddenly could no longer say. But she understood the heartbreak not only because she remembered. Now, two years later her heart did not seem to face much better and once again it was the Weasleys’ fault. Would she never learn?

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Minx had long since lain down in her basket when the twins stumbled back into the dorm, whispering and chuckling like it wasn’t the middle of the night. She heard them clump through the room, shedding their clothes onto the floor. Her ears twitched, unable to ignore the sounds they made, even when she’d just been awoken from their noise. She was suddenly wide awake, her senses all focussed on the two redheads that she’d not seen for the rest of the evening. She could pinpoint the exact moment when both of them were dressed, about to retreat into bed. But they didn’t. Instead one of them - Fred she believed - walked to her basket and picked her up, even though she had been careful to keep her eyes closed. She’d hoped he’d leave her alone, but obviously it wasn’t to be.

“My bed is way more comfortable,” he murmured, carrying her belly up in his arms. He crawled onto the mattress without letting her down, positioning her on his chest before covering them both with his blanket. On other days she’d have loved to sleep here, with him. Today, she didn’t. He smelled like someone else, Angelina she assumed, and it was impossible for her not to mull about how  _ that _ came to be. There was also a note of punch in his breath that tickled her nose - and not in a good way. It was impossible for her to relax, no matter how many circles Fred combed into her fur. Every touch from him only made her agitation worse and soon, she could no longer keep her body from shaking. She couldn’t do this, not now, not with this pit of dread that was growing in her stomach. No, if she stayed here she would not be able to even close an eye, let alone fall asleep and she really did not want to lie there, enduring that  _ smell _ . 

“Minx? Where’re ya going?” 

She could hear the confusion in his voice, probably because it was the first time she’d left from his or George’s bed. There was no reaction from her though as she stalked out of the door, down the stairs. She wouldn’t have been able to explain herself anyway, not even if she’d had the possibility to talk. No, she needed out, needed to think…

She made it down the stairs before she was joined by Crooks, his yellow eyes looking at her with an intensity that made her squirm. The seconds trickled by, one, two, three until he suddenly meowed, rubbing his head in a way that seemed to say:  _ I’m here. You’re not alone.  _

It weren’t words  _ exactly _ but the meaning was clear as he stayed by her side all night, accompanying her on her stroll through the castle and later laying down by her side on one of the sofas in the common room. It wasn’t like being cuddled by one of the twins, but given the circumstances, Crooks was exactly what she needed. 

  
  
  
  
  



	11. Tears in the water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a little pinch of angst in this chapter. Those of you who know me and my other stories, will not be surprised. ;-) This fic won’t get overly angsty though, so don’t worry. 
> 
> Thank you nautilicious for being a quick and reliable beta! I appreciate all the work, you’re putting into this story!

“Aren’t they cute together?” 

Hermione was woken by a female voice and blinking her eyes open she realized, that it was Ginny talking to the twins. 

“Quite.”

Somehow Fred’s voice sounded strange, Minx found, probably because he’d had too much to drink last night. “Still, I can’t believe she’d rather sleep here than coming back to the bed after whatever she did.”

Ginny chuckled. “Now you’re sounding like you’re jealous of poor Crooks. Maybe she was just sick of you snoring into her ear.”

Fred huffed. “ ‘M not jealous. Don’t be ridiculous. Minx’s just a cat and I’ve been told they go wherever they please.” He sat down next to her, offering her his hand. “You coming, Minx? It’s breakfast time.”

She sniffed, registering that the smell had finally left him. With a sigh she stretched, waking Crooks as she did. He blinked at her tiredly, before closing his eyes again, dismissing her. Alright, she could do this, she told herself, slowly walking towards Fred. As soon as her paws reached his thigh his face lightened up and he scooped her into his arms. 

“Knew you wouldn’t be able to resist the prospect of eating bacon again,” he whispered, nuzzling her ear with his nose. “I know it is your favourite, as it is mine.”

It was, Minx realized, astonished that she hadn’t realized so far. Old Hermione had never been particularly fond of it, but slowly she felt her personality shift, new preferences overwriting the old ones. Was this normal? Or should she be worried? Minx didn’t know but she’d ask Professor McGonagall about it. If someone would know, then it was her. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Minx’s peace had been short-lived, as Alicia and Angelina joined the twins at breakfast, sandwiching the two of them between them like it was the most normal thing in the world. Maybe it was, because no one seemed to care, or even noticed. Minx did. She noticed the small smile playing on George’s face as Alicia’s hand brushed against his thigh. She also noticed Fred whispering something into Angelina’s ear, causing the pretty girl to blush and chuckle immediately. Brushed feet under the table, held hands and whispered, sweet nothings; Minx saw and heard it all. It was like witnessing an accident in slow motion: she could not look, but she also could not look away. It was torture and she was doing it all to herself, unable to simply tell her heart no. 

“Aren’t you hungry, Minx?” George asked, brown eyes looking at her full of concern. She realized she wasn’t, not anymore. Instead she felt slightly ill, her stomach doing all sort of crazy things. Was it possible she’d caught a stomach bug? Maybe. She’d ask Professor McGonagall to run a few diagnostic spells on her. Too many strange things were happening to her and one could never be careful enough.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  
  


“I also cannot detect any illness in your body, Miss Granger. Also, a shift of food taste is nothing unusual for an Animagus,” Professor McGonagall told her, balancing the delicate tea cup between her slim fingers. “Neither are a change of grooming habits or an increased ability to see, hear and smell. Your body is adapting to the new challenges it’s been presented with and it does so in many different ways.”

“But I’m not really an Animagus, Professor. I’m not even halfway through the tasks you’ve assigned me and therefore I don’t even have an idea what Animagus form’s the one for me. How am I supposed to meditate over it, while being trapped in the body of a cat? Of  _ course _ I feel like a cat then.”

The Professor studied her with a watchful gaze. Hermione could already feel the tears building behind her eyes, as all the emotions that she’d been able to suppress as a cat started to crawl back onto the surface. Suddenly she remembered Sirius telling them that he’d only managed to stay somewhat sane in Azkaban because he’d been transformed into a dog for most of the time. Back then those words had somewhat made sense, but now Hermione fully understood what he meant. Her feelings were suddenly so much stronger and Hermione could not say if she was ready to submit to them.

“Maybe you need to do the meditations as a human, then.” Her Professor’s words caught her by surprise, nor did they make any sense. She couldn’t simply walk around the castle as Hermione Granger, the risk of running into her other self was way too high. But when she informed her Head of House of her concern, the woman shook her head.

“There are places in the castle that are safe for you to visit. I would recommend using the bathroom on the sixth floor. As far as I’m aware none of the students have access to it, as the password is only handed out by the Headmaster and the Deputy. If you wish to use it, I will accompany you there tonight, making sure you remain undetected.” 

Hermione only considered her words for a short moment. Taking a bath sounded lovely. It maybe was exactly the thing she needed to calm her agitated nerves. “I’d like that very much, Professor,” she admitted, a shy smile blooming on her face. 

The older woman nodded. “Good. Because you very much look like this is exactly what you need. No offense.”

Hermione smiled. “None taken. Will you come to pick me up, Professor? I hate to impose on you, but I am not able to transfigure myself back.”

“Of course. Just let me know through sending a Patronus.”

She blinked. How did the Professor even know she could cast one? She’d never done it in her presence had she? But then again it seemed, like there were few things, Professor McGonagall was not aware of, the woman was as observative as they came.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Hermione had barely set a foot into the hot water when the tears began to fall. It wasn’t so much that she thought about her twins at the moment, it was more that she had almost forgotten how wonderful hot water against her skin could feel. It had been more than half a year since that she’d taken a proper bath and there was only so much one could do when being trapped in a cat’s body. Until now she hadn’t been aware what a toll the transformation took on her psyche but slowly she realized that it was more than the inability to speak or the animalistic instincts that took over from time to time. 

Now, that her body was suddenly free from all those restraints it did the first thing it knew to relieve the pent up tension and so it was first one, then many salty tears running down her cheeks, dripping into the water. Hermione let them flow, happy to finally have an outlet for the feelings that threatened to overwhelm her. And so she cried, her body leaned against the frame of the big tub while one sob after another spilled from her lips. 

She could not have said how long it took until the sobs finally ceased, or until the last tear was shed but it did not matter. There was no place she needed to be, no classes to attend or friends to meet. No, somehow she was adrift in this strange situation of being appreciated as a friend, a companion, without being seen as an actual person. How was she supposed to do this for one and a half more years? Could she live with Fred and George, unable to express herself or her feelings, not knowing what other changes would take place while she was trapped in the body of a cat? She didn’t know, didn’t have the answers nor did she expect to find them anytime soon. But it wasn’t like she had any other choice than to go back, or not? 

Remembering Professor McGonagall’s words she could probably ask her for help. Maybe the witch knew a place where she could sit out her time, studying and hiding from the rest of the world. It didn’t have to be Hogwarts; with the necessary books she’d be able to prepare for her NEWTs anywhere. But what would become of her twins then? Would they miss their beloved cat? Would they mourn her? What would Crooks think, when she suddenly disappeared? Would he search the castle for her?

The longer she thought about it, the more she realized that running away was not an option. No matter how alone and misunderstood she might feel right now, she  _ was _ cared about - just not in the way she wanted to. Still, it would have to be enough for now, she’d have to learn to cope with what she was given, no matter how much her heart yearned for more. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


As soon as Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room, she could feel Fred’s and George’s eyes on her. She was pretty sure it was already after curfew, but Professor McGonagall had not said a word about her taking too much time. The woman only looked at her with a sad, understanding smile and transfigured her back, before sending her her way. She’d be allowed to come back here next week, Professor McGonagall had promised, she’d take her here after their private lessons, however often she wanted. Hermione knew what a massive gift this was for her and she’d thanked the Professor for it, from the bottom of her heart. 

“Where have you been?” George asked her, brown eyes looking at her full of worry. “Minx? Are you alright?”

There was nothing for her to say and so she simply walked towards him, her tail brushing his leg before she jumped next to him onto the sofa. Alica and Angelina luckily were nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe she’s found herself a new tomcat?” Fred suggested, staring at her full of amusement. “Crooks’s been with Hermione the whole time.”

Minx simply ignored him. How was it that boys only had  _ this _ sort of explanation in mind? They hadn’t once seen her indulging in such carnal activities, so why was it they always assumed the worst? 

She had barely sat down, when George’s hands closed around her belly, immediately lifting her to his lap. At first she wanted to resist as being this close to him suddenly felt wrong, but then she saw the hopeful flicker in his eyes and surrendered to her fate. 

“Hmmmm… you smell like jasmine,” the redhead said, burying his nose in her fur before taking a deep breath. “Really, Minx, where have you been?”

At that, his twin chuckled. “I’m pretty sure she won’t tell you, twin o'mine. All girls have their secrets.” He snickered and Hermione felt like rolling her eyes. They really had no idea. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	12. An unlikely friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so curious what you’ll think of this chapter. ;-) Tell me in the comments. 
> 
> Thank you nautilicious for betaing my scribblings. 

The only thing keeping Hermione sane during these next weeks were her tri-weekly lessons with Professor McGonagall and the baths she was allowed to take afterwards. She wouldn’t have known what to do without her Head of the House and the kind support the woman gave her day after day. Hermione didn’t take the help for granted, she knew the Professor had enough on her plate as it was, but it showed her once more what a kind heart was hidden behind the woman’s stern facade. 

It wasn’t only her private lessons she was looking forward to, even though the things she learned and read from the books Professor McGonagall so unsuspiciously left for her all over the Gryffindor Common Room kept her mind busy and distracted from… other things. But her meetings with the Professor were about more than studying. Hermione had finally gotten the chance to talk to someone and to be treated like a human, not a cat. She guessed her Head of House understood only too well, as she kept asking her about her experiencing other shifts in personality. Luckily there were none, as the time she now regularly spent as a human seemed to help her body to remember who she was, deep inside. 

Still - sometimes it felt like it wasn’t enough and at least once a week Hermione fled to the bathroom, the thick walls and the water swallowing the sound of her sobs and her tears as she rode her emotions out. Today seemed to become another one of those days. 

“I don’t think smuggling the ladies into the dorm is a good idea, Freddy,” George said, while lounging on his twin’s bed. “I want this as badly as you do, but Ange and Alica will be in so much trouble when they are found in our beds. And I think they might prefer a little more privacy.”

Fred shrugged. “There’s always silencing charms and notice-me-not charms. You know we’re good at using these. And if we go to bed late enough, no one will know. The other boys surely won’t rat us out to McGonagall.”

George mumbled something intelligible under his breath, which even her cat-ears could not pick up. Fred seemed to have liked the answer though, as he happily clapped his twin’s shoulder. “This will be  _ awesome _ , you’ll see,” he said, grinning widely. Hermione sighed inwardly. It appeared like she wouldn’t sleep at the boy’s dorm tonight because not ten horses would have been strong enough to drag her there to witness the boys getting into their girlfriends’ knickers. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“You shouldn’t be out this late in the castle.”

Minx felt herself freeze, as soon as Filch’s voice addressed her from behind. She hadn’t even heard him coming, or Mrs Norris, who looked at her with green watchful eyes. She and the cat had never gotten along, not as a human or now, as a cat. 

It took all her willpower to slowly turn around, repeating in her head that she hadn’t done anything wrong. Pets did not have a curfew and more than once she’d found another feline crossing her path at night. 

“They aren’t taking good care of you, are they?” Filch asked disapprovingly. 

To Minx’s astonishment, he kneeled down in front of her, his wrinkled hand reaching out to touch her fur. “You’ve lost weight and your fur has lost its shine. Poor little thing.” 

His words were accompanied with a surprisingly gentle touch, his usually stern face breaking out into a shy smile. “You really  _ are _ an incredibly beautiful lady, almost as beautiful as my Mrs Norris. Isn’t that right, my Precious?” 

As an answer, Mr Norris brushed past her, her tail gliding over Minx back like a soft caress. 

“She likes you,” Mr Filch said, flashing his yellow, crooked teeth. “And so do I. Now, Lovely. How about you come with us and we take good care of you tonight? Those rascals can have you back tomorrow if you even want to go back to them. I noticed you’ve started to avoid them…”

She could not help but stare at him. Filch had watched  _ her _ ? He was  _ worried _ about her, even? This just sounded so unlikely… Still, her instincts told her he wasn’t lying, he really wanted to help and for some reason she actually wanted him to. Maybe it was a sign for her really not being well, but making a spontaneous decision she followed him, right into his small quarters in the dungeons. It wasn’t like she had to be anywhere else, the twins surely would not miss her tonight. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Minx hadn’t known what to expect when she followed Mr Filch into his quarters, but she was still blown away by what she saw. She’d never before seen a Professor’s quarters before, but Mr Filch’s rooms looked like a normal Muggle flat with a small kitchenette and everything. There was a big, tartan armchair close to the fireplace that was covered with a crochet blanket, a shelf with muggle romance novels and a gramophone with a shiny, golden horn. But Minx’s eyes were immediately pulled towards the massive cat-tree that seemed to overgrow half of the living room. Never before had she’d seen anything like it and she was pretty sure that the construction was only held together by magic. 

“Come in, Lovely, come in. Mrs Norris never before had a friend over,” Filch said, smiling proudly. “Go and show her your place, my dear. I’ll prepare a little midnight snack for us.”

Minx blinked, her eyes following Mr Norris who elegantly climbed the cat tree, balancing over the narrow branches seemingly without effort. Minx, on the other hand, had never climbed a tree, firmly staying on the ground instead. Now there did not seem to be a way around it though, as her new friend stared at her expectantly, tail whipping left and right. She swallowed before she ran towards the big trunk, claws digging into it as she pulled herself upwards. It wasn’t easy but also not overly difficult she realized and after a bit of struggling she was finally up in the cosy basket, staring down at the caretaker with wide eyes. 

Filch had in the meanwhile donned a grey, faded apron and smiled. “Don’t you look cosy, up there my lovelies? Make yourself comfortable, my dears. Your Argie will be right back.”

Minx stared, unable to comprehend which rabbit hole she’d just fallen down. It wasn’t just to hear the man call himself Argie, it was him cooking them  _ actual food _ on a little gas-stove, serving them on small plates that were painted with golden roses. Afterwards, she watched him sit down on his armchair, first crocheting what looked like the pillow covers her Gammy used to have in dozens, later reading a dog eared copy of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, smiling and sniffing as the evening progressed. It was the strangest thing seeing the usually unapproachable man like that, all cosy and comfortable in his own, safe haven. She’d never even guessed this side of him but now as she was aware of it, she’d never be able to forget the picture, or the soft whispers that slowly lulled her into sleep. In private Argus Filch was an entirely different person and Minx wondered, for how many of her Professors this was true as well. She’d probably be surprised. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


When Minx strolled into the Great Hall at breakfast time the next day, a shout of worry and the call of her name greeted her. She’d never know how the twins had spotted her so fast, or how they could suddenly be in front of her, scooping her into their arms both at the same time. Soon she was sandwiched between them, the boys leaning their heads on the other twin’s shoulder while whispering: “Minx, there…” “...you are.” “We were…” “...so worried.” 

It was like they were speaking as one again, each of them murmuring a few words before the other one continued the sentence. “We thought…” “...something terrible…” “...happened to you.”

In the distance, Minx could hear a few coos and giggles, that sounded very female, she tried to ignore them. Those others weren’t important. She didn’t care what they thought and neither seemed her twins.

What was important was that Fred and George had noticed her absence, had even missed her and been worried. The affection radiating from them was hard to ignore and slowly Hermione could feel her inner resistance melt. For once she’d allow herself to enjoy their affection, if only for a little while. She could not allow herself to get used to their cuddles too much, because in the evening it would be Alica and Angelina in their beds, not her.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Or not. Strangely, Angelina and Alica did not seek out the twins once, not during mealtimes or later in the common room. There was also not a word about them joining Fred and George, today or any other day. Also, their smell was gone from the twin’s clothes, there was not a whiff of it and Minx was  _ very _ careful to sniff them. Neither of the twins complained as she buried her nose into their jumper. Instead warm, brown eyes watched her full of happy affection.

Something had happened, Minx found, and she had no clue of what it was, but she surely wouldn’t question her luck. 

“We’re so glad to have you back,” Fred whispered into her ear this evening, his large hand tirelessly caressing her fur. “For a moment we were afraid you didn’t like us any longer.”

“Or was it something else?” George added, brown eyes studying her full of worry. “Are you sick or something? I’m sorry we didn’t notice it before, but you seem to have lost quite some weight. Is everything alright?”

Hermione did not know what to do, how to react, and it wasn’t for her lack of speech. Right now she could not help but feel totally overwhelmed by the worry and love radiating from the boys. It seeped into her heart, warming her from inside and soothing the pain that had seemingly ripped her apart. Still, she’d have to be careful not to confuse those feelings for something else instead. To them, Minx would always only be a cat - nothing more and she was certain that Angelina and Alica would soon be back at the twins’ side. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. Caged Animal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your lovely comments. I’m glad you enjoyed this little sneak peek into Filch’s life. If there’s something you’d like to see in this story, or something you think will happen, let me know. 
> 
> Also, it’s happening again. This story grows and grows and grows. This was just supposed to be a short little something, but well… 
> 
> Thank you nautilicious for betaing for me again. 

Hermione only realized how much she’d missed sleeping sandwiched between the twins when she left their side the next day after breakfast. Usually, she would have stayed at their side the whole day, letting herself be carried around while they went to classes, soaking up as much of the lessons as she could. Today she didn’t feel like staying close to them though, as it would only be a matter of time before the lovebirds celebrated their reunion and she’d really be anywhere else then. That’s why she started to explore the castle instead. 

It was funny how little people actually took notice of a cat, not even the teachers saying much about her strolling through the dungeons or what had been the forbidden corridor in their first year. Almost every corner she passed held some memories for her, some good, some bad. There was the corner where she’d been petrified by the Basilisk or the one where they’d found the petrified Mrs Norris. So much had happened for her these last five and a half years and she could not help but ask herself, how much more she’d experience at Hogwarts until she  _ finally _ graduated. It was still a long way until then, but if things went according to plan, she’d be able to take her NEWTs early, or just in time if one considered her age when she’d be transformed back. It was strange to think that she was the twins’ age now and that Harry and Ron would be two years younger when she finally made it back to  _ her _ time. Would it be strange when she finally met them back in the Department of Mysteries? Would they stop feeling like immature teenagers to her?

“Look whom we have there.”

She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t realized she’d run right into Professor Moody, or Barty Crouch Junior to be precise. Ever since she was back at the castle she could not help but watch him, looking for any differences between him and the Moody she’d seen during her summer break at Grimmauld Place. He must have been a perfect actor though, as she hardly noticed even a hair out of place. But she guessed that imitating the Auror perfectly had been the only way Crouch had been able to trick Dumbledore. 

Now Hermione wasn’t so sure about the man’s acting skills though, as she suddenly found her way blocked, the man’s wand trained at her. “I know you’ve been watching me.”

Hermione was scared, her animalistic instincts urging her to flee. But turning her back at him would be a mistake, she knew, as would showing fear. No, she was a cat, she told herself over and over again, making a show of sniffing the air, before carefully walking closer, her eyes never leaving the Death Eater. She only stopped when she was right in front of him, her tail unmoving as she stared up at him with unblinking, golden eyes. 

“You’re the strangest cat I’ve ever seen,” he huffed, his hand coming down, picking her up by roughly grabbing her neck. “Or are you even a cat? Something isn’t right here, I can feel it in my bones.”

_ I bet you do, _ Hermione thought, panic threatening to take over. But she fought it, even though she knew that the man would kill her without blinking. Merlin. He  _ would _ kill her, wouldn’t he?

Frozen with fear she watched Moody’s eye jerk left and right, probably trying to analyse her. She wasn’t sure how much that thing was actually able to see, but she guessed she would soon find out. 

“Minx!”

It was the twin’s voices calling her in unison, hasty steps echoing through the hallway seconds later. She could see them running towards her, scrambling to a halt right in front of the imposter, staring at him with innocent, but slightly panicked smiles.

“What’s wrong Professor? Has she given you any trouble?” Fred asked, his eyes looking at her in confusion. 

“She ran away from us,” George continued to explain. “Don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s maybe in heat or something.”

Minx stared at him in disapproval. These boys really needed to get their thoughts out of the gutter. 

The false Moody huffed. “Try to rein her in, in the future. Cannot have her putting her nose, where it doesn’t belong. You could also consider spaying her if she’s getting out of hand. Might do wonders.”

With that, he finally let go of her, dropping her to the ground, where she landed with a hiss, her fur standing up in all directions. 

“There, there,” George tried to soothe her, hastily scooping her up into his arms. “I’m sure she’ll be a good girl from now on, innit right, Minx?”

There was no chance for her to react, as George already turned around, waving his goodbyes to the Professor. “Thanks, Professor,” Fred shouted, joining his twin with a crooked grin. Only when they were out of sight did their faces fall, brown eyes focussing on her full of worry.

“You alright, Lovely?” George asked, his fingers carefully fingering her neck, back and tummy. “Has he hurt you?”

Fred huffed. “This needs to stop, Minx. I know it’s hard  to stay at our side the whole time, those classes tend to get pretty boring. And  exploring the castle is exciting, we  _ get _ it. But please, you need to stay close to us from now on. The castle’s not safe for you to roam alone. We’ve had a Basilisk slithering through those halls and some weird stuff has been going on these last years.”

George nodded. “Yeah. Dunno what’s gotten into Moody though. Mum’s always said he's gone a bit ‘round the bend. But that he’d feel threatened by a cat… what have you been doing, anyway?”

Minx blinked, her mind having gone blank for a moment. Finally, she decided on a simple meow, accompanied by wide eyes. 

George chuckled. “I see. That’s what I thought. Well, no more disappearing on us, young lady. If you want to explore, we’re coming with you, alright?”

_ ‘No _ ,  _ not alright,’ _ Minx silently protested. What was to become of her lessons or her weekly baths? She couldn’t give those up, especially if the twins planned to keep her at their side during their dates. No, there had to be another solution, only Minx’s mind came up blank when looking for an answer. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


The twins made true on their word and stayed close to her, even when she slipped away for a toilet break between lessons. It wasn’t that their sole focus was on her, but each time she tried to slip away, she was either held back or at least one of the boys joined her. It was the most annoying thing. Once she might have enjoyed the boys’ full attention, especially as neither of their girlfriends was to be seen, but now it made her feel like a caged animal, robbed of the little freedom she’d carved out for herself. 

“ ‘S nice to have you back, all for myself,” George whispered after they had retreated to his bed for the night. “Having you and Fred here’s nice, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes I still feel a little possessive and want your full attention.” The redhead smiled, his idle fingers stroking the fur of her throat. It felt heavenly in a way that she would not have considered possible before her transformation into a human. 

“I’ve missed you, you know? I know you’ve still been with us from time to time, but it wasn’t the same.” He buried his nose in her fur. “It’s like you’ve been trying to avoid us or something, but that doesn’t make sense, does it? Fred and I haven’t  _ done _ anything, have we?”

She stared silent, trying to let the words simply wash over her. But it wasn’t that easy. There was a tone of desperation in his voice that went straight to her heart, rattling it with guilt. Of course, they wouldn’t know what they had done. How could they?

“Freddy and I are doing our best to make you a happy little kitten, you know? But maybe… try to be a little patient with us, alright? I know you cannot tell us, but if we did something wrong, we’ll figure out what it was. Promise.”

He kissed her onto the nose then, their heads upside down as he was lying behind her. Still, his lips soft and warm and  _ gentle,  _ Hermione’s breath hitching as she realized what was happening. It wasn’t a real kiss, of course, but it was the closest she’d ever get to kissing George Weasley, and her greedy heart soaked up all the feelings he provoked in her, while her mind was cataloguing the sensation for later. Only George pulled back way too soon, his kiss barely more than a peck on her nose. Still, it was enough for her to catch a whiff of his breath, smelling pumpkin juice and something spicy and to register his stubble tickling her long brows. 

Suddenly she felt queasy, her heart thudding against her ribcage like it wanted to jump out of her chest. She wanted to give something back, to show him that she too still liked him, more than that in fact. 

She reacted more out of instinct than anything else, but before George had time to pull back, her tongue leapt out, licking over the tip of his nose. She knew it wasn’t appropriate as his kiss had been an innocent show of affection for his pet, while hers was not.  _ She _ knew full well what she was doing and she could only hope he’d forgive her when he learned of her true identity.

Hermione told herself that this kiss was her way to have something before she said goodbye to those confusing and hopeless feelings, but Merlin help her, she knew it was a lie. She was lying to herself but right now it was her only way to justify her totally irrational and self-destructive behaviour. Still, no matter her feelings for George and his twin (because she had to make this even more complicated by fancying both of them), she wanted those lessons from Professor McGonagall, badly, and she wasn’t just about to give up on them. She’d made such good progress with her transfigurations, not only catching up on the sixth grader material, but also working ahead, that she didn’t want to lose it now - and she wouldn’t. She just had to find a good way to slip through their fingers three times a week and walk the short distance to Professor McGonagalls’s office in Gryffindor tower. How difficult could that be? 

  
  
  
  
  



	14. A Girl with many Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! I’m so happy you’re still with me, accompanying me on this crazy journey. Thank you for your theories, kudos and words of encouragements. They mean the world to me and make my days so much better. 
> 
> Nautilicious has been so kind and betaed for me again, while EmiliaVBlake gave me some input through alphaing. Also, I had some fluffy input from my writer-friend Moonfairy13. I am blessed to have so many talented friends!

When on the next day there was still no sign of Angelina and Alica joining the twins, Minx knew that something was wrong, or unbelievably right. Neither Fred nor George had lost a single word about them and as Miinx unsuspiciously started to watch the girls, she noticed that they were giving the twins a wide berth. Once or twice she could see them looking in the twins’ direction, eyes full of confusion and awkwardness, before they hastily averted their gazes, whispering to each other. Had the twins broken up with them? But why would they? They seemed to have been after Angelina and Alica for a while and Minx couldn’t see what suddenly could have made them change their minds. It was the strangest thing, but she surely wasn’t complaining. Maybe she’d one day find out what happened, but she surely wouldn’t stick her nose where it didn’t belong. 

Instead, she kept wracking her brain for a way to get to Professor McGonagall’s lessons, undetected, but as the hours trickled by, she came up with nothing.  It wasn’t just that she did not want to miss her instruction, or the chance to talk to her Head of House, there was also this worrying problem of the Marauder’s map she needed to discuss. Only recently she’d seen Harry watching it and was painfully remembered that she, too, had a secret that could be discovered through the map. Hopefully, Professor McGonagall had an idea of how to help her stay hidden, if not, she’d need to seek the Headmaster’s help.

But first, she needed to find a way into the woman’s office.  It appeared she had no choice but to try the direct approach, hoping for the best.

“Where’re ya going, Minx?” Fred said, straightening on the sofa as she hopped down from his lap, casually strolling towards the portrait hole. He was at her side in seconds, his twin joining him with a small smile. 

“I think our Minx is itching for a bit of exploring,” he said, flanking her other side. “And who knows? Maybe she’s found some interesting hiding spots she’s eager to share with her most devoted caregivers?” 

Minx did not look up, but his voice sounded like he was making puppy eyes. Well, they would be in for a surprise she mused, as she climbed out of the common room, heading towards Professor McGonagall’s office. She could only hope her Head of House would do some quick thinking and somehow get rid of them - because she did not seem to be able to. 

“Messer’s Weasley. Well, that’s what I call a surprise.”

Minx had done what she usually did, scratching at the Professor’s door before producing a loud and clear meow. The older woman opened the door almost immediately, as she’d already expected her. Only she was clearly surprised by the company she’d brought along. 

Minx looked up at her with wide, pleading eyes, hoping that the woman would understand what the problem was. “Did you escort your cat to our little meeting?” 

She could almost see the twins’ minds go blank, as their eyes went in disbelief. “Meeting? What meeting?” George asked, his eyes staring at Minx like she would provide him with the answer. 

“You’re meeting with Minx?” Fred added, eyes darting back and forth between her and the Professor. “Is this a regular thing?”

Their Head of House sniffed. “Indeed. Now go. Minx and I do have some things to discuss.” The Professor dismissed them with a wave of her hand, her body transforming into her Animagus form right in front of their eyes. Minx felt like grinning, as the redhead’s eyes widened in realisation, their mouths gaping open. 

“Of course, Professor,” they stammered, taking a step back. “We’ll be going then.”

There was no answer from either cat, Minx casually strolling into the Transfiguration Professor’s office without turning around. As the Professor pushed the door closed she thought that the woman would have made a good Slytherin. She’d not told the boys a single lie but still made sure they’d draw the wrong conclusions from the facts they’d been given, and she’d done so without batting an eye. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Our Minx is full of surprises,” Fred stated happily while bunking with her and George in his twin’s bed. “Befriending Professor McGonagall. I wonder how  _ that _ happened.”

“I wonder what they’re doing together. They’ll hardly be drinking tea or talking about the weather,” George mused, distractedly caressing her fur. “I wonder if that’s where she’s been disappearing to. We know she’s sometimes taken Hermione’s cat along as well. Maybe McGonagall is hosting a kitten-club or something.” He chuckled. “Can you imagine?” 

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall at those meetings,” Fred agreed, his eyes shining with curiosity. “Or have an ear in the room. Wouldn’t that be something? Extendable ears?”

“Sounds like something that’s worth looking into,” his brother agreed contemplatively. “Those could come in quite handy, not only when trying to learn something about one’s pet. They could be a hit in our store.”

“ ‘M sure of it,” Fred agreed, staring at the ceiling of their bed. “Minx is giving us the best ideas.”

“Hmhm,” George hummed, nuzzling her fur with her nose. “She’s our muse.”

Minx considered his words. Had she really just inspired a future Weasley product? Probably not, as the Extendable Ears had been around before she fell back in time. No, she’d probably just sped things up a little and there wasn’t really anything to say against that. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


"She never licks her bits," George observed one day,  as they were once more lounging together on his bed. They were doing it more and often these days and Hermione asked herself if Fred and George had always done that, or if this was their way of sharing their pet. Hermione did not mind as she enjoyed these lazy evenings full of product planning and cuddling, as they gave her the feeling to be in the center of the twin’s attention, even though she probably wasn’t. 

"You're right," Fred agreed. “Auntie Muriel's cat always licks her bits. Especially when guests come over.” The two of them laughed loudly. “I always enjoy watching the embarrassment on Murial's face when that happens,” he added.

"You're too refined for that, aren't you, Kitten," George said, stroking her fur with a good-natured smile.

"Bet that's why she turned her nose up at that cat food muck Percy insisted she use, eating with us at the table instead, " Fred replied.

His twin snorted. “Minx also smells much nicer than most cats. I mean, she always carries a whiff of jasmine in her fur. Have you noticed?”

“Sure I have. No idea how she does it though. It’s probably another of those little secrets she has,” Fred said, rolling onto his back. For a while he did not speak, his eyes staring at the ceiling of the bed without seeing anything. “Gods, I miss Ange,” he finally said, his voice way more melancholic than it had been before. 

Hermione blinked, confused about his sudden change of topic. George seemed too, his previously smiling face growing serious. “Yeah. Who could have expected that this turned out to be such a disaster? Things were going well enough with our girls before we tried to take the next step.”

What was that supposed to mean? What had they done? She looked at them incredulously. 

Fred groaned. “Don’t remind me. I’ll never forget Ange’s face when I called her Alica instead. Fuck. Should have done some more research instead of simply going through with it. Some good it did us.”

His brother nodded, gloomily. “Don’t get me wrong, Freddy. I love being your magical twin. ‘S just that I slowly realize, that some things are going to be a challenge.”

“Yeah.” 

For a long time, none of them said another word, both of them seemingly lost in their thoughts or in a silent conversion with the other twin. It didn’t matter. Their words had given her enough to think about, even though she had only a vague idea of what had happened. It had to do something with their twin bond, that much was obvious, only that this didn’t give her much to go on. Oh, how she wished to be back in her human body, able to do some research if only to satisfy her own curiosity. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


It was two days later, when they were just about to head back to Gryffindor Tower after dinner, that another one of her secrets came out.

“I see you’ve decided to take better care of Miss Fairfax now.”

Mr Filch was suddenly standing in front of them, a look of disapproval on his face, as he stared at the twins. Mrs Norris was at his side and to make matters even more obvious, she strolled towards Minx, rubbing her head against hers in greeting. 

“Miss Fairfax?” Fred asked, staring at the caretaker in confusion. “Do you…” he stared down, his mind probably trying to put the puzzle pieces in place. “Do you mean Minx?”

“ _ Minx _ ? Is that what you call her? That’s not an appropriate name for a young, accomplished lady like her. But I am not surprised that you don’t recognize what a gem’s been placed into your care.” Mr Filch looked at them disdainfully, before suddenly leaning down, offering her a pastry. “Don’t hesitate to come to me, when those two rascals don’t treat you right, you hear me, Miss Fairfax? There’s always a warm spot for you at my fireplace.”

It was the first time Minx saw the twins actually speechless, their mouths gaping open as Mr Filch leaned down to scratch her ears. She allowed it with an acknowledging purr, rubbing her head against the withered skin. It was always good to have a second door open and secretly she would not have minded to visit the grumpy old man again. 

“Don’t worry, Sir. We’ll take good care of her,” George promised, his eyes wide as saucers. “We know how special she is.”

It was obviously the right thing to say, as Mr Filch’s eyes looked a little less disdainful when he got up again. “See that you do.”

Without saying another word the man turned around, marching away with Mrs Norris in tow. 

“I wonder how many more secrets you have, Minx,” Fred said, his eyes watching them with a glassy look in them. “Befriending Filch of all people - not that we have anything against your choice of friends, or partners. You really are a girl with many secrets.”

George grinned, scooping her up into his arms. “And we love you all the more for it.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	15. Divergence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Happy weekend to all of you! This week hasn’t been so bad for me and I’ve had plenty of energy to write, as you have seen. Next week will be a little more difficult, but I’m sure I’ll still be able to do some updates to this story. I’m 21 chapters in atm and I think I’m about halfway through. Yeah, I know. This wasn’t planned. But hey, this is too much fun to keep it short. 
> 
> Thank you EmiliaVBlake for alphaing and nautilicious for betaing this chapter. 

The end of February came faster than Minx had thought possible and, with it, the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. The last time she’d missed most of it, as she and Ron were unconscious for most of the time. She remembered being scared when Professor McGonagall told her what was about to happen, because the thought of being buried somewhere in the depths of the Black Lake was giving her nightmares. She’d never made a secret of her fear of heights but what only a few people knew was that she was almost equally scared of deep water. 

In the end, Hermione agreed to be brought into the Black Lake, but only after she was reassured that someone would get her, even if Viktor would not be able to rescue her in time. Things had luckily gone smoothly during the task, at least that’s how it seemed to her back then. Now, when she was standing at the lakeshore, watching the whole spectacle from the outside, she wasn’t so sure. After Harry and the other Champions had disappeared in the dark water, there wasn’t much for them to see, or to do, the cold wind whipping into their faces and ruffling her fur. It wasn’t long until she was freezing and even though her fur held off the worst of the cold, she still buried herself firmly against Fred’s chest, enjoying the warmth that radiated from him. 

“Time’s almost run out,” George murmured, his voice laced with worry. “None of them’s made it back so far.”

“Yeah. This is about more than swimming,” Fred replied, his eyes never leaving the water surface. “Wonder what’s hiding below the water surface. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more than Merfolk and Grindylows.”

George hummed in agreeance. “Do you think Harry’s gonna get our idiot of a brother out? He’s an annoying git, but…”

Fred snorted. “They’ll get him out, don’t worry. Dumbledore’d be in big trouble if there wasn’t some backup in place. The parents would give ‘em hell if something happened. You know the kind of Howlers mum tends to send and that’s just for playing a prank.” He shook his head. “I’d rather face a rampaging dragon than her in such a situation.”

Not long after, Cedric resurfaced from the black lake, Cho Chang in tow. Krum followed soon after, dragging her younger self to the shore. She looked barely alive, her eyes open but wide with something that looked remarkably like fear. Today she could not have said what she’d thought back then, but it hadn’t been pleasant thoughts. 

Viktor helped her to the shore, his head slowly transforming back, before he sent her a shy but proud smile. It was obvious that he adored young Hermione, but even though his interest had always flattered her, she’d mostly felt a little overwhelmed because of it. Still, her younger self reacted differently than she remembered, her cheeks growing hot at Krum’s obvious worry, as she said something that was too far away for them to hear. It was probably because, thanks to Rita’s absence, there had been no hate mail or nasty newspaper articles, but this time Hermione was way less hesitant towards the star Quidditch player and it resulted with him picking her up, carrying her towards Madam Pomphrey bridal style. Minx stared.  _ That _ definitely hadn’t happened before.

“He knows how to woo a girl,” George murmured, his eyes fixing Hermione and her admirer. “There’s no denying it. The man has style.”

_ He had _ , Minx thought, suddenly  _ remembering _ how heavily her heart had pounded when she was so obviously favoured by an international Quidditch star, or  _ any _ boy really. Being swooped up and carried around like this made her feel special, precious, and never before had a boy made her feel that way. And by the looks of it, many of her female classmates were envying her, their looks, giggles and whispers being hard to misinterpret.

Slowly, she could not only feel her memories shift but also her emotions, a deep fondness and affection for Viktor growing, where before had only been friendship. How was this possible? Those things had never happened to her,  _ but now they had _ , and Minx suddenly realized that catching Rita Skeeter might have had more consequences than just preventing nasty newspaper articles and hate mail. 

When Harry finally arrived back with Ron and little Gabrielle in tow, young Hermione was comfortably wrapped into a blanket, Pepper Up potion running through her system and a cup of hot chocolate in her hand, that Viktor had gotten her from Merlin knows where. While she watched Harry help the little Veela out of the water, Viktor loomed over her, much closer than she remembered him having done it the last time. There also was no beetle in her hair, but Minx watched him stroke a curl of Hermione’s hair behind her ear, causing her to blush.

“Oh, he’s definitely going for it,” Fred observed, the corners of his mouth turned up into an amused smile. “Am I a bad person if I’m suddenly jealous of Granger?” He chuckled. “Even though the guy is probably grateful that she has no interest in Quidditch or his career. It’s probably why he’s so fond of her…”

George snorted. “Are you mad? He’s taken with her because she’s brilliant and beautiful, even though she mostly tries to hide it behind those books she carries around with her. Can’t you remember how hot she was at the Yule Ball?”

Fred shook his head. “As if I’d be able to forget that. At first, I almost couldn’t believe it was her. Now I start asking myself how I haven’t noticed before how cute she is. I’d love to wrap her up in a warm blanket myself.”

_ ‘Do it,’ _ Minx thought, another, quieter voice asking:  _ ‘And what about Viktor?’ _

_ ‘What about him?’  _ the first voice asked back and slowly she felt the confusion overrun her mind. It was, like there were suddenly two Hermiones inside her, fighting for what they wanted. It felt like hell, her head suddenly starting to throb as her mind tried to adapt. 

This was wrong, she thought, panic suddenly overcoming her. What if her mind wouldn’t be able to handle all those changes, because suddenly she realized that many more were to come, provoked by this one single decision to catch Rita and hold her a prisoner. 

What had she done? Meddling with time was indeed dangerous and slowly Hermione understood that this wasn’t just about deleting herself from the timeline. She couldn’t interfere again, not even a little bit, no matter how much it pained her to watch everything unfold for a second time. But she had to let time run its cause, because if she didn’t the consequences for her and everybody else were impossible to predict. 

  
  
  


Ssssssss

  
  
  


By the time the twins finally took her inside, Minx was shaking and it wasn’t from the cold. Her headache had grown worse until it was feeling like a full-blown migraine, that made her physically sick, making it unable for her to keep her eyes open.

“Shouldn’t have stayed out this long,” Fred said, his voice laced with worry. “Or at least cast a warming charm. Stupid!”

George hummed, the words he replied intelligible for her. It wasn’t long until she was tucked into bed, both boys framing her with their lean bodies. Only that she could not find herself to enjoy their touch, as it seemed to make the shivering only worse. It was like her memories were shifting and changing all the time, as she was suddenly remembering Viktor accompanying her back to the castle, where he saw her off with a kiss onto her palm that was witnessed by a sheepish Harry and a livid Ron. 

Suddenly there were memories of her and Ron arguing until Hermione stormed off, her friendship with the boys once more strained because of the boy’s idiocy. So much was happening that hadn’t happened before and Minx knew that this was wrong, dangerous even. How was Harry supposed to get through the third task, if young Hermione would be too distracted to help him? Her friendship with Ron and Harry was what had brought them this far, had brought her into the Department of Mysteries at the end of her fifth year. What would happen if things changed enough that she would never accompany them there? She’d never travel back in time and what would then become of her, of Minx? Would she simply disappear, as if she’d never have been created, to begin with? No, this couldn’t happen, mustn’t happen!

“Minx? What’cha doing?”

Driven by a sudden bout of intuition she got up, carefully climbing over Fred making her way to his nightstand. There was only one way out of this, one way to fix what she’d done. She could only hope that it wasn’t already too late. 

“Come back, love. You need to stay here with us, so we can warm you up,” George urged her, but she barely listened. With two more steps, she had reached Rita’s jar. It was full of fresh leaves now, the grumpy bug sitting right on top of the little pile. She only spared it a quick look before she whipped around, throwing the glass onto the floor. But it did not break.

“Minx! What’cha doing?” Fred asked, hurrying to her side. “What’s gotten into you?” 

“You can play with your little friend here later,” George soothed, trying to lift her up. She hastily stepped aside, hissing before starting to scratch the jar, urging them to open it for her. The redhead stared at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. 

“You… you want us to open it?” Fred asked, carefully reaching for the glass. She meowed. 

One swift move set the beetle free, Rita skittering out of the glass, as only a desperate, trapped animagus would. Minx watched her, making no move to catch her again. 

The twins watched her, not showing the least bit of interest in the beetle Animagus, that determinedly made its way to the next window. 

“ ‘S that what you wanted, love?” Fred asked, his hands carefully reaching for her again. “Will you come back to bed now?”

Minx blinked and this time allowed it to be touched and lifted up again. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rita make her escape and slowly she could feel her nerves settle down again. She’d done what she could to set the timeline right again. Now she could only hope that it wasn't already too late.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	16. Desperate Measures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Thank you for all your kind words, kudos and ideas. I appreciate them all. I’m so happy to have you all here, reading along and sharing your thoughts with me!
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake
> 
> Beta by nautilicious

Morning came and as Minx awoke sandwiched between her two favourite redheads, she felt significantly better. Her brain still felt a little fuzzy but with a bit of distance, her new memories seemed to have somewhat settled, pushing the old ones into the back of her mind. She could still access them, but she now felt emotionally distanced to them, making it feel like those things had happened to someone else and not her. Still, she knew that things were not how they were supposed to be and she could not help but be worried about it. 

“Feeling better, Minx?” George murmured, just as she’d stretched awake next to him. Warm, brown eyes looked at her full of worry. “You gave us quite a scare yesterday, do you know that?”

Minx purred, gently rubbing her head against his chest. Being cared about in such a way felt good, glorious even. 

“You seem to be much better now, though. Glad you didn’t catch a cold.” Fred affectionately caressed her head, before climbing out of bed. “So sorry for not being more careful yesterday. We’ve been a little distracted.”

“Yeah. We promised to take better care of you and we messed up again,” George admitted gloomily. “I swear we’re not being idiots on purpose. Maybe it’s running in the family.”

It wasn’t their fault, Minx knew, and she tried to show them her undevoted affection by purring and headbutting them over and  _ over _ until they were grinning happily. 

“You’re so forgiving,” George smiled, patting her head. “How do we even deserve you?” 

“We don’t,” Fred said, offering her his arm to climb up on. Minx did so, careful not to hurt him with her claws. 

‘ _ You have me anyway, _ ’ she thought, leaning her head against his chest. And she wasn’t referring to being their pet.

  
  


Ssssssss

There was no article from Rita Skeeter during the next week, not a single line. Minx was careful to check the newspaper every morning, studying the twins and their classmates for any reaction that could be caused by a scandalous bit of gossip, but there was  _ nothing _ . Wherever she was, she was not writing for the Prophet, the articles on the Triwizard Tournament being supplied by a male reporter that was way more neutral and down-to-earth than she had been. It was a good thing, Minx had thought, until now. 

Because as the days passed more and more of her memories shifted and she suddenly remembered meeting Viktor in the library, walking the grounds together and even watching him fly a broom one afternoon. That definitely had not happened before and Minx found that most worrisome. Something needed to happen and soon, because it wasn’t only the friendship with Ron and therefore also with Harry growing more and more strained, there was also this second voice in her head that started to list Viktor Krum's assets to her, like it was trying to convince her that he’d indeed make a fine boyfriend. Why was she even considering this, considering him? There never had been that spark between them, at least not that she remembered… only that that wasn’t true any longer because now she definitely felt…  _ something _ . 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


The next days brought the next Hogsmeade weekend of the term. To Minx’ relief, young Hermione agreed to go with Harry and Ron, even though she and the redhead had barely exchanged words. Minx still did not know what exactly Ron’s problem was, as she found it pretty unlikely that he’d be jealous of Viktor, when barely a few weeks ago he’d realized that she was a female to begin with. Was he jealous of her? Or was he truly worried that she’d abandon Harry in the middle of the tournament? It all made very little sense, but that did not prevent Ron from sulking most of the time. But as Sirius letter arrived, requesting to meet him at the village, their disagreement seemed momentarily forgotten and they agreed to go and see him together. Still, the atmosphere within the Golden Trio had evidently shifted and Minx watched in with dread, realizing that part of it was her fault. 

“Wanna come to Hogsmeade with us, Minx?” Fred asked as he tightened his Gryffindor scarf around his neck. “Outside it’s much warmer now. Almost feels like spring.”

She looked at him with a frown. It had been too long since she’s last been to Hogsmeade and even though walking the village with the twins would probably make her nostalgic, it would be a good chance to get out of the castle. While still in her human body she’d never had this urge to get outside and stretch her legs, but now she did, her paws itching to feel the soil and the grass.

With a meow she got up from the window sill where she’d been lazing around for the last hour, staring outside, leapt to the ground. With a happy gleam in his eyes, Fred watched her approach, his smile widening as he realized she planned to come along. 

“Brilliant,” he said, shouldering his bag and following her to the door. “We’ll have so much fun. You’ll see!”

  
  
  


Sssssssss

  
  


Minx decided to walk to the village, instead of letting the twins carry her. Lately, she more and more felt the urge to move, to  _ do _ something, and sometimes she theorized that her urge to change the coming events made her feel increasingly restless. It would be good for her to give some of the pent up energy a way out. Maybe it was also her cat instincts taking over, as she caught herself staring at a passing bird or a mouse more than once. She’d never actually hunt them, even though she itched to do it, which was the most distracting thing. 

Fred and George seemed in good humour as they joked and laughed during most of their trip. Minx wasn’t surprised that they stayed the longest at Zonko’s and even though they only bought very little, they spent lots of time browsing the shelves. It probably was for their lack of funding, Minx mused, studying the longing looks on their faces as they passed the sales window on their way into the village, and even though they did not mouth any complaints or even disappointment, Minx could not help but feel sorry for them. 

It was a lively morning with them strolling through the village until the twins’ cheeks were red from the fresh air, their eyes sparkling as they discussed their dream to open another joke shop here. It was just around noon, when Minx suddenly felt faint again and with dread she realized that her memories had shifted once again. At first she did not know what was wrong but then she caught a picture of her and Viktor entering the Three Broomsticks, while Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen. How had  _ that _ happened? Minx couldn’t help it, she needed to know but there was only one way to find out.

“Meow.”

The sound was enough to get her twin’s attention and as soon as she had it, she looked into the direction of the tavern, her eyes wide. 

“What is it, Minx?” George looked down at her questioningly. “You hungry?”

“Meow.” All it took was that sound, accompanied by a pleading look for them to get the message.

“You know what, Freddy? I could indeed use a bite and maybe a bottle of butterbeer,” George said, nudging his twin with a smile. 

Fred smiled back. “Then let’s grab a bite, twin o’mine. Our lady has spoken and we wouldn’t want to let her wait. We promised to take good care of her, after all.” 

It wasn’t long until they sat down at a table together, Minx seated on a bench between her two favourite redheads. A few of the patrons threw them an awkward look, but neither Fred nor George seemed to be overly concerned about it. 

All the while they waited, Minx’ eyes were fixed on young Hermione, who was sitting at one of the smaller tables at the window, smiling and nodding as Viktor told her about Bulgaria and his family. They were too far away for Minx to hear their conversation, but she did not have to. She’d been there and therefore she now remembered them well enough. Soon, Madame Rosmerta brought over drinks and a ham sandwich for each twin. The redheads graciously offered her some of the meat and even though Minx wasn’t really hungry she ate it without hesitation, thanking each of them with a purr and a headbonk. That was, when she suddenly spotted Hermione and Viktor linking hands, right on the table. No. This couldn’t be happening. Absolutely not.

Minx hopped to the floor, her body seemingly moving on its own as her paws carried her towards her younger self. There was no time for the twins to react, as they only understood where she was going when she’d already disappeared below another table. She could feel them watching out for her, brown eyes full of confusion and worry. She did not pay them any mind. There was no danger for her here as she didn’t plan on going far. A loud meow and a jump brought her right to young Hermione’s lap, the young witch looking at her with something like pleasant surprise. 

“Minx. Are you coming to say hello?” she asked, her small hands combing through her fur. Minx let her do it, not really being able to enjoy the gentle touch, as she carefully analysed the situation at hand. There were two almost full bottles of butterbeer on the table, a half-eaten Shepherd's Pie and a plate of chips. It wasn’t much, but it was something she could work with she thought, leaping from Hermione’s lap onto the table.

When the twins reached the scene it had already been too late, most of young Hermione’s butterbeer had spilt onto her food and clothes, as well as Victor’s. Minx was hastily picked up from the table, Fred and George apologizing for her clumsiness while Viktor cleaned Hermione’s clothes with a spell.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” George mumbled, holding Minx tightly against his chest. “Dunno what got into her. I can only imagine she’s happy to see you, Hermione.”

Young Hermione smiled and even though her cheeks were tinged pink, she didn’t look upset or anything. “It’s alright,” she mumbled, smiling hesitantly. “Nothing happened. She didn’t do it on purpose or anything.”

Fred and George nodded. “Course not. Well, sorry for interrupting your…” George trailed off, vaguely gesturing at the table. “We’ll leave you in peace now.”

At that, Hermione frowned. “You know what? Why don’t you sit down with us? Viktor just tried to explain the difference between a Quidditch bluff and a feint to me and I just don’t get it.” She shrugged. 

Later the twins would remark that Minx was probably the first cat pranking a human, even though they hastily added that it had all probably just been an accident. But was it even considered a prank if one was playing it at oneself? Apart from that these were desperate times and they called for desperate measures. 

  
  



	17. Letting go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new week everybody! Thank you for still being here and supporting me by leaving comments and kudos for my work. Recently I’ve even gotten some love for my older fics and I’m like… awwwwww. Thank you, friends, because I am sure that was you. 
> 
> Thank you also for the support of my alpha EmiliaVBlake and my beta nautilicious. They are helping so much and not only by soothing my poor nerves when I realised that this is a tie travel fic and how difficult those are to write. Why did I want to do that again?

“Why am I not surprised our Minx is a little trouble-maker?” Fred said, pulling her affectionately against his chest. They were back at Hogwarts, the three of them lounging on one of the sofas in the far corner of the common room. The other Hermione was back with Harry. Ron was nowhere to be seen. 

“She’s our cat,” George observed, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Of course she’s a little trouble maker. Wouldn’t wanna have it any different.”

Fred chuckled. “And we can’t blame her for trying to get close to Viktor fucking Krum. The guy’s a legend. Hope Granger’s not too mad we ruined their little tête-à-tête.”

“They’ll find another chance, even though I don’t take him for a guy that goes for a shag in a broom cupboard,” George observed. 

Minx frowned. Even if Krum was such a guy, she’d not let things escalate this far. Every letter or secret meeting she’d remember and even though she probably wouldn’t be able to prevent all of them, then at least some. It wasn’t optimal, but it was all she could do for now. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


One week. That was all it took for her to get desperate, well, even more desperate than she’d been before. It wasn’t just the headaches, or even Ron sulking in the corner. Admittedly, this was bad, but it wasn’t the worst. Usually Hermione would have been found in the library, or maybe in the common room, studying. Now Minx mostly found her outside, walking the grounds, her hands linked with Viktor’s, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Minx could rarely follow them there, as the twins still kept a watchful eye on her. They took her outside, walking the grounds with red cheeks and glowing eyes, but they never got close to Hermione and Krum, probably aiming to give the young lovebirds a little privacy. They were too noble for their own good. 

Most disturbing were the daydreams that came to haunt her with increasing frequency. Minx knew they weren’t actually dreams, but  _ memories _ , that trickled into her mind, manifesting there. 

_“Hermione.” Viktor’s low, husky voice followed her into her dreams, his breath tickling the skin of her neck, as he kissed her earlobes… no!_ Hermione’s earlobes! He’d not once touched _her_ in such a way, never her, never Minx. And still he had, _she remembered the feeling of his large calloused hands around her waist, remembered the taste of mint as he gently kissed her, nibbling at her bottom lip._ _“You are beautiful, Hermione.”_ Was she really?

More and more Minx caught herself dozing off during the days, missing whole chunks of the twins’ lessons as her mind was otherwise distracted. Charms suddenly seemed no longer important, at least in those weak moments, but later, when she found herself panicking over things she should but could not remember. At night she jerked awake, awoken by the sudden urge to do something,  _ anything  _ to make this madness stop. 

Because ever so slowly Minx found herself enjoying those secret moments, her golden eyes watching Hermione and Victor while she imagined how it would be to switch places, just once. Because Minx had never been kissed like that, never felt cherished in a way  _ she _ did. Yes, her mind told a different story, but Minx knew better. She mustn’t forget that all of this was just a mistake in the timeline, her mistake, and she  _ needed  _ to correct it. The sooner the better. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Never before in her life had Hermione had had an interest in pranking products, or felt the urge to use them - not even during the year of Professor Umbridge’s tyranny. But even during those dark times, she hadn’t been as desperate as she was now, because  _ Minx _ did not have any qualms in stealing several of Fred’s and George’s prototypes and smuggling them into the picnic basket that young Hermione had prepared for her little  _ picnic _ with Viktor. It took all her willpower to not follow them outside, but she stayed put watching Fred and George do their homework while Harry and Ron played Exploding Snap instead of doing something useful - like practise magic for the third task. She’d never understand how Harry did not learn as much as he could during this year, because the knowledge of having been entered into such a dangerous Tournament against her will, would have been enough for her to spend every free minute practising. 

“Messer’s Weasley, with me.”

Professor McGonagall appeared out of nowhere, her voice stern as she looked at them with piercing green eyes. “I’d like to have a word with you in my office, if you please.”

Fred and George blinked in surprise, but they followed her without a word of protest. Minx trailed after them, a feeling of uncertainty blooming in her chest. It only got worse when the door closed behind them and the Professor said: “A few minutes ago a very distressed Miss Granger carried a little hamster into the hospital wing. She said it was Viktor Krum, who’d eaten some kind of striped toffee. Do you know anything about that?”

The twin’s eyes widened. “We didn’t…” Fred sputtered, George adding: “We’d never!”

Professor McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose. “Did or did you not develop that sweet?” she asked, her eyes looking at them in a way, that made Minx feel naked and by the look of it, the twins felt pretty much the same.

“We did make it, out of curiosity, you see? We never planned to  _ use _ it though, as we knew it wasn’t finished. We haven’t even tested in on ourselves, you see? And we always do that before… well…” Fred scratched the back of his head.

The older woman sighed. “Well apparently  _ someone _ found it funny to put your… invention into Miss Granger’s picnic basket. I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you that there couldn’t have been a less appropriate moment to do such a stupid thing. This tournament is supposed to encourage friendly relationships with students of other schools, not to alienate them by playing cruel pranks.”

The twins nodded in unison, saying: “Of course, Professor. We swear, we didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“I believe you. Merlin knows you’ve caused enough trouble, but you were never shy to admit to something,” Professor McGonagall said, suddenly sounding tired. “Very well. You may go. Try to hide your… experiments better in the future. Strange things are going on at Hogwarts and the last thing Hogwarts needs is to make an enemy as popular as Viktor Krum. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” 

Fred and George left the office with hunched postures and Minx realized that she might not have thought sabotaging this romantic picnic through. 

  
  
  


Ssssssss

  
  
  


“What did you think you were doing?” 

Minx had barely entered her Head of House’s office for her next lesson, when the witch transformed her back, green eyes scanning her full of disappointment. “Pranking young Mr Krum like that.”

Hermione stared, her newly transformed body unable to hide the feelings showing on her face. There was no use in denying it, as Professor McGonagall seemed to already have figured out her involvement. She winced.

“I was trying to help,” she mumbled, realizing how ridiculous this sounded. The other woman seemed to think the same, as she looked at her with raised brows. 

“I think you’ll have to explain this, Miss Granger, because I cannot understand how pranking a fellow student is supposed to help  _ anyone _ . Were you not supposed to keep a low profile to not influence the current events?”

“But I already did!” The words broke out of her, Hermione’s voice quivering with desperation. Then it all started spilling out of her, the whole embarrassing story. Somewhere in the middle, she started to cry, big fat tears running down her cheeks as she confessed to having captured Rita Skeeter and the reasons and consequences of taking her out of the game. When she mentioned the headaches and confusing memories that started overwhelming her from time to time now, she could feel the Professor’s expression getting worried.

“I didn’t mean for  _ any _ of this to happen,” Hermione ended her little monologue, her eyes swimming with tears. “And I have no idea how to set things right again.”

“There, there,” the older woman said, handing her a hanky. “What exactly is it you want to correct? You and young Mr Krum dating? Or young Mr Weasley being an idiot, because I cannot say which will be harder to do.”

Hermione stared at her with wide eyes, stunned into speechlessness. Luckily the Professor did not expect her to say anything, as she seemed far from being finished. “I might have never been in your situation, Miss Granger, but I have been young once and as I’ve been a Professor for quite some years, I was able to experience quite a bit of teenage drama. One thing seems to be pretty much a given: I do not take you for a person abandoning her friends easily, not even for a blooming romance. I know you’ve been supporting Mr Potter through this tournament and even though some people might frown upon that, I do not. All I want is for that boy to get out alive at the other end of that Tournament, as does your younger self, I believe. Romancing Viktor Krum will not change that.”

Hermione nodded. She knew it was true, that she’d try to help Harry, no matter what. “But what about Viktor?”

“He and I… we never…” she broke off, her cheeks turning pink. 

Professor McGonagall smiled. “So? If the only real change you made to the timeline was preventing this… woman… to spread her yarn, then maybe this isn’t such a bad development at all, don’t you think?” She patted Hermione’s hand. “I know a first love can feel frightening, life-changing even, but maybe you should start to trust in yourself and your friends. I am positive Mr Weasley will come around and if he doesn’t, I’m sure your younger self will try to talk some sense into him.”

“She probably will,” Hermione admitted with a rueful smile. 

Professor McGonagall. “Try to interfere as little as you can from now on. Time has the tendency to correct itself, I’ve been told. It might be hard for you to let things go and allow them to take their natural course, but I believe it is for the best. I believe the more you get involved, the more complicated things will get.”

Hermione sighed. “I understand. It is just difficult for me to stand by and do nothing.”

The older woman nodded. “I know. But no one said this would be easy. I believe things stopped being easy the moment you fell back in time, my dear.”

“Yeah.” How right she was, Hermione thought with a heavy heart. 

“But an easy life is not what makes you grow as a person, Miss Granger, overcoming difficulties does. You have a brave and loyal heart, my girl. If someone can make it through this, then it is you.”

The smile on Minerva McGonagall’s face spoke volumes. She really meant these words and it was that realisation that made Hermione straighten in determination.

“I will do my best, Professor, no matter how hard it is.”

Professor McGonagall nodded. “Sometimes doing nothing and letting things happen requires way more bravery than interfering. It’s one of the lessons life taught me. But you can do it, my dear, you aren’t a Gryffindor for nothing.”

Hermione nodded. She’d try, to keep her word, to let go, no matter how scary it was. But she already knew she’d need all her Gryffindor courage to face whatever consequences her meddling with the timeline would have. 

  
  
  



	18. The Third Task

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> beta by nautilicious

The days until the third task of the Triwizard Tournament dragged on in a way that could only be described as painful. More than once Minx caught herself watching young Hermione with a longing that could not only be attributed to the fact that she more or less secretly dated Viktor Krum. It wasn’t because her younger self’s eyes glowed with happiness or her lips were often swollen with kisses and it also wasn’t because her own heart started to pick up speed if she caught a glimpse of the dark and broody boy. The closer the day of the last task crept, the more her focus shifted toward another boy, a boy who’d not make it out alive of the Tournament. And suddenly Hermione, Viktor and even the twins were forgotten. 

Who cared about trivialities like teenage love when one of her schoolmates would die and there was nothing she could do to prevent it? She’d learned her lesson,  _ painfully _ . There was nothing she could do for that sweet and humble boy, who was so well-liked and would be desperately missed - not only by Cho, his girlfriend. But there was nothing she could do, meddling with time was dangerous, forbidden even. At first, she had not understood, but after she’d felt the consequences of only a little change, she got an idea of what was at stake. What would happen to Harry, if he suddenly found himself alone in the graveyard, without Cedric? What would happen to Cedric, if he did not participate in the last task and therefore did not fulfil the contract he’d signed with the Goblet of Fire? So much was at stake here, much more than her own sanity or the danger of preventing Minx to be created in the first place. 

“You seem contemplative,” Professor McGonagall observed during one of her lessons. She’d made good progress with her Transfiguration work and even though she got closer and closer to attempting her first self-transfiguration, her heart simply wasn’t in it today. Only three more days, she repeated in her head over and over. Therefore it probably was no wonder she’d lost track of the Professor’s explanations a few times. 

“I’m sorry, Professor. I just find it difficult to concentrate, that is all.”

“I can see that,” her Head of House replied, concern mirroring in her green eyes. “Is this about you and young Mr Krum? Or is there something else, you’d like to tell me?”

Minx shook her head. “I’d love to tell you, Professor. But I cannot. Something’s going to happen and it… and it kills me that there’s  _ nothing _ I can do to change it.”

“I see,” Professor McGonagall said full of empathy. “You know, being powerless is one of the things that are hardest to learn in life. Especially as a wizard or witch who has the power to influence many things, even time, it is hard to accept that sometimes our hands are just tied. Most people cannot handle it at all and I do not blame them. Having to let things happen is  _ hard,  _ it’s as plain and simple as that.”

Minx nodded, not feeling better but at least understood. “I… I have no right to ask but, did you… did you have to let things happen in your life, Professor?”

At that, the older witch sighed. “I turned the love of my life down, declined his offer to marry me. Instead, I watched him marry another woman, even though I was still deeply in love with him. He was a Muggle, you see? I could not break the  International Statute of Secrecy and tell him about being a witch and I was highly ambitious and therefore unwilling to hide my magic and give up my career.” 

Minx looked at the witch in wonder. She had not expected the woman to confide in her and felt deeply humbled by her trust. “Still. It must have been a very difficult decision. Do you regret it, Professor?”

The witch’s eyes turned sad. “Sometimes. The important decisions of our lives are rarely the easy ones and rarely something is black and white. And most important decisions are difficult ones and they usually come with a price.”

Minx blinked, unsure of what to say. The Professor seemed to sense her hesitancy, as she continued: “Even though I made a decision against romantic love it does not mean I’ve never found it, Miss Granger. I found happiness and love, even if it was for a short while. I know this has nothing to do with your decision and your problem right now, but maybe it helps you to know that I  _ understand _ and I believe that you are capable of enduring a situation where you are powerless, not because you’re weak, but because you’re strong.”

Minx nodded, even though her head rang with questions. Did she  _ really _ understand? The Professor didn’t know that there was a life at stake, Cedric’s life. It was one thing to let a person go, but to let him  _ die _ ? That was an entirely different thing. She sighed. 

“Thank you, Professor. I deeply appreciate your worry and your trust in me.”

“If there is anything I can do, my dear…” Professor McGonagall looked at her sadly. “You know where to find me. My door is always open for you.”

“Thank you, Professor. You don’t know how much that means to me… or maybe you do.”

The older woman smiled. “I think we should maybe end our lesson a little early today. Do you feel like taking another bath? I know it is not much but…”

“A bath would be lovely, Professor,” Minx replied with a small smile. A bath sounded exactly like what she needed, even if it was just to have the possibility to cry all her sorrows out, without anyone seeing or hearing her. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Living through the day of the third task again was like watching a movie in slow motion. Minx had been afraid that she'd live through the fear for Harry, the sadness again, but when her friend and the other champions marched into the remodelled Quidditch pitch she felt nothing. Maybe it was because she’d cried for Cedric until no single tear was left in her or maybe it was because she had finally accepted that the past must not be changed. But when Cedric left, waving towards his parents and his housemates, Minx watched him like she’d watch the character from a movie she’d already seen too often. 

She counted the minutes after he entered the gigantic maze, replaying in her head what Harry had told her about the night in the graveyard. She replayed the scene in her head, filling the holes with dialogues she imagined took place. Maybe she thought that replaying a scene that had already taken place once would help to make things happen the exact same way again, or maybe it was her way of saying goodbye to Cedric, of mourning him. There was no way to say for sure, but when Harry finally reappeared with Cedric’s body in front of the maze, screams and cries echoing all around her, Minx felt nothing like relief. She’d done it, history had repeated itself because she had done  _ nothing _ to prevent it and still it felt like the hardest thing she’d ever done. 

Later, when everyone was ushered back inside, Minx found herself tightly pressed against George’s chest, his arms holding her almost too tight, like he was clutching some sort of life-line. 

“That could have been one of us,” Fred murmured later, when the twins were holding each other, hidden in George’s bed. “We wanted to be in the tournament, wanted to participate, believed that we could make it through. This could have been us, Georgie. Ced’s been brilliant, he was clever, knew all the spells… but he’s dead.  _ Dead. _ ” 

“I know.” George’s voice sounded hollow, almost as dead as Minx felt inside. “We’ve been stupid, Freddy, stupid and naive. And we can thank our lucky stars for that age-line that Dumbledore drew around the Goblet of Fire.”

Minx agreed, a mournful meow escaping her mouth as she cuddled closer. She didn’t want to imagine if it had been one of them, instead of Cedric. He, too, would be mourned, but she could not imagine what hole the death of a Weasley twin would rip into his family, the famous Weasley clock suddenly missing one hand, a twin his second half... No. Losing one of them wasn’t even a remote possibility she thought, nuzzling her nose into George’s chest. She knew it wasn’t fair to weigh one life against another one, but that’s what she did, thanking her lucky stars that she did not have to witness one of them die. It would have been more than she could take. 

“Can you imagine what mum’d do… or Merlin, me? No Georgie, dying is not an option, for neither of us,” Fred answered a while later, his fingers entwining with George’s. “You know I cannot lose you, not ever. Not even…” He broke off. “Whatever happens, we’ll stay together. Promise me.”

“Promise,” the other redhead replied, the twinkle from his eyes missing as he smiled at his brother. “You and me, Freddy. There’s no separating us. Not ever.”

No other words were spoken aloud that night, but Minx felt like nothing more needed to be said between the three of them. It was a long time until either of them fell asleep, each of them following their own train of thoughts. Finally, way after midnight, Minx felt the twins’ breath even out and it wasn’t long until she, too, fell into a restless sleep. 

  
  


  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is written under the premise that Fred survives. Even though I might not write the final battle, because this isn’t a story about Voldemort or the Horcruxes, Fred makes it out alive. Never think he doesn’t. 
> 
> I know you probably hate that I didn’t save Cedric, but I want this to be a story where Hermione changes very little. If I wanted to write a story about Hermione interfering and saving them all, I wouldn’t put her in a cat’s body. Because this would be a very different story. 


	19. Of Endings and Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect to publish a chapter today. It’s been a horrible day. But I need this story as much as you do, my friends!
> 
> Thank you nautilicious for being my brilliant beta! 

The next morning the students from all three schools were sitting together in the Great Hall, like they had for the last months. Still, the atmosphere had shifted, the faces much more solemn than they had been only 24 hours ago. The school year wasn’t over yet, but Minx knew that not much learning would be done in the next few days. The shock sat too deep, not only in the students, but in the teachers as well. One of them had been an imposter and none of them had realized. Still, Minx could feel two pairs of eyes on her as the headmaster summed up the events of the previous day, explaining what he could to the students and asking them to leave Harry in peace. She could tell the man had questions, as had Professor McGonagall, and Minx would not be surprised if either of them sought her out for a conversation and she was pretty sure it would not be a pleasant one. 

Ssssssss

“I can’t believe Moody was an imposter,” Fred said darkly. “He’s been teaching us for a year and it’s been… good.”

“Yeah. All that lecturing about dark curses should have tripped us off, but then again it was very useful and will come in very handy, should we ever face one of those bastards,” George growled, cradling Minx against his muscular chest. “I cannot believe he’s had his dirty fingers on Minx. Merlin. When I remember the way he’s looked at her those months ago, it gives me goosebumps.”

“Yeah,” his brother agreed gloomily. “I cannot help but think that Minx has maybe felt something and tried to check him out. Why else would he have felt threatened by her? Back then we thought it was Moody’s famous paranoia, but knowing what we know now…” He shuddered. 

“I’m glad we were there in time,” George sighed, his fingers sinking deeper into Minx’ fur. “Because suddenly I’ve got the feeling that we could have lost her that day.” 

Minx did not object. She’d known back then that it had been a close call and ever since she’d been careful to stay away from Crouch and close to her twins. Now, that  _ this  _ danger was over, she should finally be able to relax, because no matter how bad the next school year had been, she wouldn’t need to watch someone die again. 

Still, it did not seem like the twins would let her out of their sight anytime soon, because if anything they now seemed all the more protective of her. After just losing one of their fellow students, she could not blame them. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Miss Granger.” 

When Hermione went to Professor McGonagall’s office for her regular Transfiguration lessons, the Headmaster already waited there for her. She was not surprised to see him there, as those hours in the evening were the only ones she spent apart from her twins these days. 

“Professor Dumbledore,” she greeted, bowing her head. “Professor McGonagall.”

The Headmaster smiled. “I am sorry for interrupting your private lesson, my Dear. I just came to ask…” Blue eyes looked at her intensively. “Has this exact same thing happened before?”

Hermione stared at the man for a long moment, her eyes darting to Professor McGonagall before she answered: “It has. I hope you understand that I could not tell you, Professors, no matter how much I wanted to.”

Professor Dumbledore nodded, his hand making a dismissive gesture. “Of course. As I once told you, meddling with the timeline can have disastrous effects. I am glad you took my warning to heart, no matter how tempting it was to interfere. I applaud your self-restraint.”

On the one hand, it felt good to have the man’s understanding and even support, but somehow his words still felt wrong. She did not want any applause for having let Cedric die, or You-Know-Who return. Hermione still thought that it probably was a mistake, that she  _ should _ have done something, consequences be damned. But it was too late now and she’d never know if her decision had been the right one. 

“Please don’t,” she finally said, her voice heavy with sorry. “I don’t want applause for having done something that feels so wrong. I wish I could have done something, but…”

Professor McGonagall nodded understandingly, her mouth pulled into a grim line. She did not say a word though. Instead, the Headmaster said: “Maybe there is a way for you to help, without actually endangering the timeline. Yes, events need to play out similarly to your first time experiencing them, but only until the moment you’ve fallen back in time. I believe you still have another year to sit out. But this should give us plenty of time to prepare, that is if you trust me and Professor McGonagall enough to tell us about what you know.”

She looked at them with wide eyes, heart beating nervously in her chest. Could she do that? Did she trust them enough to tell them everything? But what was there left to tell? Hermione swallowed, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. 

“You have our word that we will not intervene, Miss Granger, nor will you be punished for knowing something you should not or having acted like it is to be expected for a Gryffindor, that is Mr Potter’s friend,” the Headmaster, who seemed to have sensed her hesitation continued, a grandfatherly twinkle in his eyes. “I am sure you understand the danger of Lord Voldemort being back to power. We will need every advantage we can get, no matter how small it is. And time and knowledge are amongst the most powerful advantages one can have.”

That, Hermione understood; and considering the situation she found herself in before she’d been thrown back in time, telling her Professors what happened did not seem like a bad decision at all. She nodded. “I trust you,” she said, looking at the two Professors with a grim smile. “And therefore I’ll tell you everything I know. It might not be much, but maybe it will be enough to make a change in the end, however small it will be.”

“You underestimate yourself, my dear,” Professor Dumbledore said, a warm smile on his face. Hermione registered it with a shy smile. With a sigh, she leaned back in the comfortable, cushioned chair and after nervously clearing her throat, she started retelling her tale. 

  
  


ssssssss

  
  


Minx watched the Durmstrang students board their ship with mixed feelings, her eyes resting on young Hermione and Viktor who stood a little apart from the others, looking at each other with a solemn expression. 

_ “I will miss you, Hermione.” _

Minx did not need to be close by to hear the words, as they were resonating through her mind. _ “You are a very special woman and maybe one day…” he broke off, looking at her with a sad expression. “I will never forget…” _

_ Hermione nodded, fixing him with a sad smile. “Neither will I. You are a wonderful person, Viktor, and maybe in a few years…” _

_ He silenced her with a finger on his lips. “You are still young, Lyubov, and there are dangerous times ahead of us. Know that you will always have a friend in me. You and your family will always be welcome at my home, da?” _

_ “Da. ” Hermione agreed, a sad smile on her lips. “And thank you. I promise to write to you.” _

Suddenly Minx’ mind cleared only leaving a headache behind. Her eyes immediately sought out the young couple and when she found them, she could just see Viktor pressing a kiss onto the back of Hermione’s hand, while several pairs of eyes watched them, whispers breaking out. She sighed. 

With Viktor back in Bulgaria those  _ episodes _ would hopefully soon be in her past and maybe even Ron would start talking to her again. If she was lucky also this confusion, that used to overcome her, would lessen with time. Still, she’d somehow gotten used to those conflicted feelings and part of her was sad to see Viktor go and it wasn’t because she would miss daydreaming of kissing him or sitting in the library together. Unbeknownst to Viktor, he’d given her a few months of happiness, before hard reality caught up with her. The last weeks had been hard on young Hermione and Minx could see that something inside her had already shifted as part of her naiveté and innocence was no longer there. It had been the same the last time around, only that this Hermione had some nice memories to look back to and for that she was thankful.

“She looks sad,” Fred murmured, his eyes focussed on Hermione. George followed his gaze, nodding but not saying a word. Minx could only guess what they thought, or why even looked at her instead of watching the Beauxbatons students depart. They did though, some sort of unspoken communication going on between the two of them, before they nodded, exchanging a shrug and a smile. She told herself not to dwell on it, telling herself that their thoughts were none of her business, reminding herself that they most likely did not even think about her. Assuming otherwise would only risk falling into the same trap  _ again _ and she’d really had enough heartbreak for a while. Fred and George Weasley were out of her league and there was no chance for her to get one let alone both of them. 


	20. Cats and Dogs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a week. Sorry for the “late” update. Real life has been tough. But now I’m back with another little update for you. Enjoy. And thank you nautilicious for betaing. 

“Am I a bad person to feel happy, despite everything?” George asked, staring at the ceiling of his room at the Burrow. It was their first night back and Minx was still won out from the train ride and the twins’ overprotectiveness throughout the day. 

“If so, I am a very bad person, too,” Fred murmured into Minx’ fur, before happily kissing the top of her head. “But I mean, it’s like our dream is suddenly coming true. We’re gonna have our joke shop, Georgie. That’s everything we ever wanted.”

“To make people laugh, to make them happy,” George continued, nodding into the darkness of the room. “And maybe Harry’s right. Maybe that’s exactly what the world will need. Who knows what’s gonna happen? Cedric was probably only the beginning.”

Fred nodded, his giddiness somewhat morphing into something like determination. “Yeah. It makes our task even more important, don’t you think? Inside Hogwarts, the world will remain somewhat safe and calm. Our product can give those kids some happy and carefree years, something to look back to and remember instead of the darkness threatening to eat them up.” 

For a moment none of them spoke and Minx had time to consider their words. She had ever thought about it like this, but they were right. The world was going to get darker, much darker, but people needed something to give them hope, to make them smile. Fred and George could do that, she knew they could. 

“So, not feeling guilty about being unbelievably happy, are we?” George asked, turning his head so that he could look at Fred and Minx. 

“Nope. Not even a little bit,” Fred answered, the giddy smile creeping back onto his face. “I’m sure life will get serious soon enough, even for us, twin o’mine. Until then I am determined to enjoy and celebrate every happy moment.” 

He underlined his words by pulling Minx closer against his chest, his nose nuzzling the fur of her back. The touch alone was enough to make her heart pick up speed as well, the boys affection and happiness surrounding her like a soft, warm cocoon. They were right, maybe this was the time to be happy, because no matter how dark their lives had gotten, they were only going to get darker. 

  
  
  


ssssssss

  
  


Hermione had always thought that Sirius Black was a little difficult to deal with and she wasn’t just talking about the fact that he’d spent a significant time of his adult life in Azkaban. Honestly, she’d had  _ no idea _ . Until recently she’d only known him as Harry’s godfather, or as a man starved for social interaction, locked up in the childhood home he hated with a passion. Now she learned that this had only been one side of him and she really did not know what to think of the other ones that she discovered step by step during the next weeks.

“You boys can have this room if you want. It’s been my brother Regulus’. I cleaned it out a little bit but in case you find anything that looks dubious…” He shrugged. “He was a bloody Death Eater so it  _ could _ be a dark artefact.” He flashed them a crooked grin. 

“Wicked!” Fred and George exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide and full of excitement. Hermione looked at them disapprovingly but their focus was all on Sirius. “Don’t worry, we’ll be careful.” George hastily added. 

“Molly has not been exaggerating, has she, eh?” the haggard man asked, his voice not sounding even a little bit disapproving. “Well, I already started wondering which of you lot would inherit the Prewett’s trouble-maker traits. Your uncles  _ definitely  _ had it,” he said, fondly. “They’ve probably given poor Professor McGonagall as many grey hairs as Prongs and I.” He snickered and Hermione watched the twins’ eyes widen with realization. 

“Prongs? As in Prongs, Moony, Padfoot and Wormtail?” George asked, his voice vibrating with awe. 

“You’ve heard about us?” It wasn’t a question, going by the cocky grin on Sirius’ face. Hermione scowled. He really should not encourage them to get into trouble, especially as this place reeked of dark magic. But neither of them seemed to take notice of her.

“How’s the policy about ah… experimenting in the bedroom? It  _ might _ happen, that we blow something up…” Fred said, a mischievous grin on his face. “... not on  _ purpose _ , of course.”

At that, Sirius snorted. “Blow it up as much as you want. I’m not particularly fond of… anything, actually. Just keep the noise away from my bedroom.” He casually waved them off. “I like to sleep in.”

“Sure thing,” they chorussed, saluting in front of the Marauder. 

“And if you find a way to get rid of my mother’s portrait…” he trailed off. “I’d make you an honorary Marauder.” He twinkled. 

“Deal.” 

Hermione could not believe it. Sirius Black had just invited trouble and he didn’t look even a little bit worried or sorry about it. She bristled. He was supposed to be the adult here but apparently, he had no interest in growing up or showing responsibility. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“This Skeeter person’s not leaving a good hair on Harry, or Albus,” Mr Weasley said one morning, putting the Daily Prophet aside with a sigh. 

“She’s a despicable woman, telling lies like that,” his wife grumbled, throwing the newspaper a look as if it had personally offended her. Minx remembered a time when Molly Weasley bought into the lies Rita Skeeter spouted, but back then she had fired against Hermione, not Harry. The Weasley matriarch did not want to hear a bad word against her honorary son and for a moment she felt personally offended, that the woman was willing to believe the worst of her, but not him. On the other hand the things Skeeter wrote were so offensive, that Minx could not blame her. It was bad. Last time there had only been some insinuations between the lines. This time the Prophet launched a full-blown campaign to discredit Harry and Professor Dumbledore. 

Rita Skeeter had been busy. There was an article about Dumbledore’s past, portraying him as Grindelwald’s lover and co-conspirator who only turned against him in the last possible moment. It could not be true of course but Minx knew how little the gossip-hungry masses cared about the truth, especially if it was a truth about You-Know-Who being back and endangering their oh-so-comfortable little lives. 

Minx sighed. Apparently, Rita Skeeter was back to business and this time young Hermione wasn’t even aware of her being an Animagus. She had no leverage against her and therefore nothing to protect Harry and the others from the woman’s hunger for tabloid sensation. What would happen if the next year passed and Hermione did not learn of her Animagus form? Would Rita even be caught by Minx? She could feel her memories of her old life growing fuzzier and fuzzier and once more she felt regret at having meddled with the timeline. Until today she had thought that finally, things were back to their old order but now she realized that it wouldn’t be so easy. 

She sighed. She’d need to talk to Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster about this, as soon as she was back to the castle. She needed to set things right again, if that was even still possible. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Hermione wasn’t sure for how long Sirius had been watching her already, but he was definitely watching her now. At first, she saw his grey eyes rest on her as she sat with the twins for breakfast, gracefully eating the bits of bacon and egg they offered her. Being unsuspicious was her utmost goal, she decided, because if Professor McGonagall had been able to tell she wasn’t a real cat, so probably Sirius Black could as well. She imagined he was especially careful after the Pettigrew incident and so Hermione tried to behave as cat-like as possible, only that the twins were making it exceptionally difficult for her. More than once she needed to hiss a warning at them and once she needed to hit Fred’s hand with her claws to make him drop the damned snuffbox he’d just pulled out of one of the drawers. 

“She might have just saved your arm,” Molly remarked later, tutting at the twins as she healed Fred’s burned fingers. “What did you even think, going through those drawers alone?” 

She looked at her sons, shaking her head in disbelief. “I appreciate your eagerness to help with the cleaning up, but from now on we’ll better work in the same room. Should have never left you boys with this on their own.”

“Nah, we’ll be fine!” George protested, probably because cleaning wasn’t exactly what they’d done. But it was of no use. Their mother was adamant that they join her for cleaning one of the drawing rooms during the next days and Hermione felt something like a grim satisfaction. It wasn’t that she could not understand their drive to be curious, the last year had taught her to understand them much better, but she did not want them to get killed in their recklessness and who knew what else was hidden in the drawers of that godforsaken house?

Hermione would never consider intervening and therefore saving Fred a mistake (even though she wondered how it had been the last time around with her not being around), but from that day on Sirius’ interest in her seemed to have reached a new quality. As she was just about to relax on George’s lap that night, Sirius suddenly trotted through the door, his body shifted into his Animagus form. The twins watched him with a stunned expression as he confidently walked closer until he was nose to nose with Hermione, his nostrils inhaling her scent. 

“Hey! Where does that dog suddenly come from?” Fred protested, registering Hermione growing nervous next to him. She could not help her fur starting to stand up, not because she was afraid of Sirius biting her, but because she knew this was a full-grown man in front of her, his face close enough for them to kiss. 

“ ‘S Sirius,” Ron enlightened them with a snort. “He’s an Animagus,” he said, sounding pleased that he knew something the twins did not. 

It was when the penny seemed to drop, because George gasped, probably making the connection between Sirius’ Marauder name and his Animagus form. “Of course,” he murmured, his attention shifting for a moment. It was when Sirius moved closer, his eyes focussing her as their noses touched. Hermione reeled back, her paw coming down, her claws scratching his snout. He jumped back with a howl while Hermione arched her back on George’s lap until she was twice her original size. That  _ mutt _ would not touch her or sniff her out. He had  _ no _ right to.

“Ouch,” Ron said, rubbing his own nose in sympathy. “I guess the beast doesn’t like you, Sirius.”

George sent his brother a dirty look. “Calm down, love,” he soothed, his fingers combing through her fur. “I’m sure Padfoot didn’t mean to hurt you. He was probably just curious.”

“Yeah,” Sirius murmured after having shifted back, spouting an impressive scratch on the back of his nose. “Just wanted to say hello.”

As if Hermione hadn’t given him enough of a warning he moved closer again, this time reaching for her with his hand. Immediately her golden eyes narrowed, fixing him as she lifted her paw as a warning, growling at him. The man immediately stiffened, his hands raising in defeat.

“Alright, alright. Got it,” he said, taking a careful step back. “I’ll leave you in peace… for now.”

Ron snorted. “Why do you sound like you just accepted a challenge?” 

The four men snickered, oblivious to the glare Hermione was sending Ron. Having Sirius breathing down her neck, or better in her face, was not funny, not when there was the danger of him discovering her true identity. She did not need that knowledge in the hands of a mentally unstable Marauder with a penchant for recklessness - thank you very much. 

  
  


Ssssssss

From there on life for Minx grew more and more difficult, as Sirius seemed to watch her even closer. Once, when she was just lounging in the library, he suddenly appeared in front of her in her Animagus form, grey eyes focussing her as he carefully walked closer. The twins were nowhere to be seen, as they were helping their mother cleaning like they often did these days. Sirius must have waited for a chance to catch her alone, or so she suspected as she watched him with narrowed eyes. 

He took a step and then another one, his tail wagging in the laughable attempt to seem as non-threatening as possible. She wasn’t afraid of course, but increasingly annoyed that he simply  _ would not leave her alone _ .

How many more scratches until he would get the message, she asked herself, lifting her claw with a hiss. His answer was a needy whine, puppy eyes focussing on her before he took another step in her direction. As if she’d ever fall for that nonsense, Hermione thought with an internal sigh. Well, obviously some sorts of men only learned through pain.

  
  


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	21. Seeing double

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Hope you all have a lovely weekend. Here’s the next chapter for you. Thank you nautilicious for betaing for me again. 

Four weeks into the holidays young Hermione arrived at Grimmauld Place, eyes wide and excited as she stepped into the dark corridor, clutching Crooks against her chest. Minx remembered well how nervous she’d been that day, stepping into the Headquarters of a secret organisation against You-Know-Who, that was hidden in the centre of London. Back then she had not known that she would not be allowed into the meetings, wasting her precious holidays with cleaning out stuffy drawing rooms day after day. Soon she’d come to regret her decision to cut the holidays with her parents short, realizing that there was nothing useful she could do here. At least Ron seemed to have calmed somewhat down, as he came to greet her, hands buried inside his pockets. 

“Hi Mione,” he greeted her with an awkward smile. “Mum said, you’re gonna share a room with Ginny. Want me to show it to you?”

Minx knew it was probably all the apology she’d get and Hermione seemed to know it as well, as she accepted Ron’s offer with a happy smile. Minx watched her go upstairs from the kitchen, where she was watching Mrs Weasley cooking from one of the benches close to the fireplace. She’d already picked up some of the household spells she used and figured out how to cook two of the twins’ favourite dishes. Why she even bothered to learn those, she could not say. 

It was later, during dinner, that Minx saw Sirius approaching young Hermione, his grey eyes twinkling charmingly as he asked about her holidays, her parents and even school. She remembered that last time she’d been charmed, a little overwhelmed to have the handsome man’s attention - because even Azkaban had not been able to strip him of his striking features. True, he still was underweight and his eyes held a somewhat haunted look, but when Sirius Black turned his whole rakish charm against you, that did not matter. Still, new Hermione was not nearly as intimidated as she had been, probably because dating Viktor had helped to overcome her insecurities. 

The last time she’d never been in someone’s focus like that, one shy kiss with Viktor at the Yule Ball being all she knew of boys. But things were different now. With her giving the poor boy a chance, young Hermione had learned a fair bit about snogging and being in the sole focus of a boy did not scare her any longer. Minx admired her for it, because even though they were technically the same person and Hermione’s memories had somewhat bled into her, she knew they were false. Viktor had never kissed  _ her _ like that, never taken  _ her _ for an early morning walk around the Black Lake. This had all been the other Hermione, because no matter what her newly gained memories told her, Minx knew better. 

  
  


Ssssssss

“Oh no, he’s doing the dog thing again.”

Minx did not need Ron’s unnerved words to warn her of what was about to happen, _ again _ , as she’d already smelled Sirius approaching, as his Animagus form stepped into the corridor. He’d been seeking her out every now and then, sometimes as a human, but more often as a dog and no matter how often she hissed or growled at him, he would not be discouraged until she lashed out at him. It was like he was determined to seek her company or approval and he could have gotten it, if he just hadn’t been so determined to touch her. It wasn’t like she hadn’t allowed other people than Fred and George to pet her, like Harry or Mr Filch, but those felt  _ safe _ . Sirius Black, on the other hand, did not. He looked at her with an intensity that made her shiver and not in a good way. He knew something or at least felt a dangerous sort of interest in her, which meant she needed to keep him away. Only that her resistance seemed to egg him on further. 

“What kind of dog thing?” Hermione’s voice was laced with curiosity as she watched Padfoot approaching, his tail wagging and his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he carefully walked towards the group of teenagers. 

“Just watch,” Ron answered, his eyes following Sirius amusedly. While Minx built herself up to her full size, she thought, that her friend might be enjoying this a  _ little _ too much. 

“He’s been trying to befriend Minx ever since we arrived,” George explained fondly. “Only Minx is determined not to like him.”

Padfoot took two more steps and Minx was just about to raise her paw as a thread, as he suddenly stilled, sniffing the air close to her before turning towards Hermione. Suddenly the cat seemed forgotten and he trotted over to her younger self, tongue lolling out of his mouth, as he rested his head on the sofa next to her. Minx saw his nose twitch, unsuspiciously sniffing her out before his head turned back to her, studying her with a strange gleam in his eyes. 

“Huh, appears Padfoot has given up on trying to charm Minx,” Fred said, sounding amused. “I think he likes you better, Hermione.” He winked at her, his hand absentmindedly petting Minx’ fur. She could not find herself to enjoy it though, as she could feel Sirius’ gaze on her. It had a new quality of curiosity she did not like at all.

  
  
  


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It was two days until Minx found herself alone in a room with Sirius, his wand trained at her while his body blocked her exit through the door. He’d ambushed her on her way to the twins’ room where she wanted to wait for the redheads until they had cleaned themselves up in the bathroom. She should have waited in the kitchen close to Molly, she realized.

“This must be a very interesting story you have to tell,” he said, smiling crookedly. “I’d like to hear it.”

Minx stared at him with narrowed eyes, not moving a muscle. She knew he probably would not let her go until he learned at least something, only that she had no idea how much she  _ could _ tell him - or how to get out of this situation without giving her secret away. The latter seemed impossible, but telling him even more so. Because she did not trust Sirius to keep his mouth shut, he had recklessness written all over him. 

“No?” he said after he’d waited for a reaction from her for a few seconds. “You could at least shift back. It’s not like I don’t already know who you are.”

Her tail twitched, giving her nervousness away, but otherwise she just looked at him, waiting for whatever he attempted to do. It wasn’t like she could transform back, even if she  _ wanted _ to.

“Still a no? Well, unfortunately for you I want some answers.”

The spell flew easily from his wand. She did not try to dodge it, just stood there as she transformed back, this time luckily having all of her clothes on. True to his word Sirius did not look surprised to see her, his grey eyes taking in her appearance, obviously trying to put together the puzzle pieces.

“You’re older,” his eyes expertly studying her torso, before focusing on her body. “How?”

She looked at him with pinched lips, her arms crossing defensively in front of her chest. “Time Turner accident. I got thrown back for two years.”

“Ah, of course,” he said, eyes suddenly gleaming with excitement. “Couldn’t have two of you run around.” 

“I am not an Animagus, in case you are wondering. I need you to transfigure me back. I hope you have a  _ very _ good memory, Sirius,” she said, darkly. 

Sirius did not seem intimidated in the least. With a smile, he said: “I’m an Animagus, Kitten. Don’t worry. I know my Transfigurations very well.”

Hermione did not reply to that, a curt nod all the answer she gave him. 

“Why the Weasley twins? The other Hermione doesn’t seem particularly close to them. You, on the other hand, seem outright cosy,” Sirius continued, a wolfish smile growing on his face.

She scowled at him. “It was the Headmaster’s suggestion. I am trying to learn as much during their lessons as I can. I plan on taking some of my NEWTs at the end of next year. I might add a few others later, but I don’t want this accident to steal any more of my time, than it already is.”

“Ah.” 

She did not like the smile on his face, nor the knowing twinkle in his eyes, but luckily he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he said: “Who else knows?”

“Professor McGonagall. She’s been very kind and giving me some private lessons.”

Sirius smiled. “Let me guess. She figured it out on herself. This one’s always been too attentive to go behind her back. She caught James and me more than I’d like to admit.”

“She figured it out by herself. Only took her a few days to spot something was amiss.” Despite her resistance to talk to him first, Hermione found herself telling him more and more, his easy manners making it easy for her to open up. He did not seem to judge her, or tease her, just listened, his eyes happy and eager and bright. It was the strangest thing. Hermione didn’t even  _ like _ him, well at least she hadn’t until today. 

”Hopefully, soon, I’ll be able to transfigure myself,” she admitted, a shy smile on her lips. “I’m pretty sure I’ll turn out to be a cat Animagus anyway. I might not be able to influence the shape and colour of my fur, but it will at least help me to transform back into a human, if need be.”

Sirius’ lips twitched. “Your Animagus form is mostly a decision, at least with the necessary talent, and I don’t see you lacking in this department. Yes, most Animagus forms resemble their human counterparts at least in some way, but that is because every change requires you to picture another change on your body and concentrate on it during the transformation. I keep my fur black, because I’m a lazy bastard, or probably because I could not do better as a teenager. Now I’ve gotten used to it and simply keep it, even though I  _ could _ technically change it. Being an Animagus is a flowery description of the ability to transfigure yourself into an animal and be able to live as one. You have mastered that second part pretty well, I’d say.” He winked at her. 

She looked at him in astonishment, for the first time seeing something else than the falsely convicted man, the victim, or the reckless Marauder. 

“So you think that if I decide to transform myself into a cat, I can?” she found herself asking, her brows furrowed in concentration.

Sirius shrugged. “With a bit of practise. It’s all well and good that McGonagall makes you do all these meditations to figure out your true form. You can still do that later, if you want to. But I think you’re phenomenal as a cat. Your right hook is definitely a thing to be reckoned with.”

Hermione could not help but chuckle. “I just don’t like people trying to pet me, all the time. That’s all.”

“I see,” he said, twinkling. “I’ll try to keep my hands to myself then, or my tongue.” He must have seen the blush spreading in her cheeks at these words, because he chuckled. “How about that? You stop glaring at me and I’ll help you master your Animagus transformation. There are still almost two weeks left and most of the time I try not to die from boredom. Helping you could help me pass the time.” 

She didn’t know if it was the prospect of spending more time as a human or the eagerness to finally win some control over the situation, but she found herself nodding, before she had even fully considered his offer. “That would be… I’d love that!”

“Good. Brilliant. There’s one condition though. If you want us to have several lessons, Minx and old Sirius should make friends, don’t you think? We wouldn’t want your twins to think, I kidnapped or imperiussed you.” Grey eyes looked at her with a twinkle. 

For a moment Hermione considered correcting him, to tell him that Fred and George weren’t  _ her _ twins, but then she decided to let it go. No reason to rub his nose in it. It would probably only egg him on further. “I guess that’s only reasonable. I’ll stop glaring at you,” she promised, a shy smile playing on her lips.

“And sit on the sofa with me from time to time,” he added, grinning. “Making friends is about more than stopping to be outright hostile.”

She sighed. “No touching though,” she warned him. 

Sirius sighed dramatically. “As you wish. Wouldn’t want to catch another one of your right hooks. They hurt.” Making puppy eyes he rubbed the back of his nose. “Even though I need to inform you that I give the best of belly rubs.” He waggled his fingers. 

Hermione scowled. “Don’t overdo it, Sirius, or I will change my mind. You will not speak about this and you will most definitely not touch me. Is that understood?”

He raised his hands in defeat. “Alright, alright. You’re the boss,” he said, smiling apologetically. “No touching. Got it.”

She nodded, satisfied. That’s when she heard the twins pass the door, joking and laughing as they walked towards their bedroom. Hermione turned towards the door. “I need to go, or they’ll wonder where I am. Can you… can you please transfigure me back now?”

Sirius smiled. “Sure thing, Kitten.” An elegant wave of his wand transfigured her back, her body shrinking until she was back in her cat-form, not a hair out of place. He had been right, he really was good at Transfiguration. 

Minx sent him an acknowledging nod before she turned towards the door, waiting for him to open it for her. He was behind her seconds later, one of his hands reaching for the handle as he said: “Have a good night, Minx.”

It was the suggestive smile that told her there was a hidden meaning behind these words, and Minx rolled her eyes. This man really needed to get his mind out of the gutter. He totally had the wrong idea. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	22. Making a Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I see you’ve all set your mind in Sirius surviving this. Good to know. I had no idea there are so many Sirius-fans out there. Here’s another chapter featuring him. Enjoy!
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake
> 
> Beta by nautilicious

“I think he’s finally managed to charm her,” Fred observed, his brown eyes watching Minx sitting next to Sirius on the sofa. 

“Wonder when that happened,” George murmured, his voice sounding somewhat sceptical. 

Sirius chuckled. “Well, I do have my way with women,” he bragged, causing Ron to snort. Minx scowled at him. Fred and George, on the other hand, looked at him with a thoughtful expression. Minx could only guess what they thought, or better she couldn’t. Sometimes boys just kept being a mystery to her.

  
  


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Soon, Harry joined them at Grimmauld Place and the dynamics in the house shifted once again. Minx knew it had been a difficult summer for her friend, being left without an idea what was going on after being through the horror of seeing Cedric die and witnessing You-Know-Who’s resurrection. She got why he was being emotional and so did young Hermione. Ron, on the other hand, seemed totally out of his depth. He tried his best to comfort or talk to his friend, but more often than not Minx found him sitting with Hermione, talking to her in hushed tones. 

It had happened last time too, only this time the experience of dealing with an emotional Harry was what brought them back together after the Krum-fiasco, that’s what Minx called it in her head. It wasn’t that dating Viktor had been a bad experience, Merlin no, Viktor had always been kind and gentle and never pressured her to do anything she did not want. Still, dating him had been wrong, not because it had been a mistake, but because it was a change in the timeline that was painful for her to experience. 

Luckily  _ this _ change was about to correct itself, Minx realized, her heart growing much lighter at the realization. Things between her, Harry and Ron were  _ finally _ going to get normal again, or as normal as they could get with Harry needing to go to trial, Rita Skeeter writing nasty newspaper articles again and Dolores Umbridge getting to be their new DADA professor. Oh, who was she kidding?

  
  


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“Do you think mum will be alright?” George asked in a worried tone. “That Boggart’s really shaken her, I can tell.” 

Fred shrugged. “She’ll recover. I’m sure dad’ll make her feel better. She knows it’s not true, that we’re all alive and well. But I guess with the news of You-Know-Who’s resurrection…” He trailed off. “Can’t blame her for being afraid to lose us. She already lost her brothers in the last war and we both know she’s not gotten over that even after such a long time.” He sighed.

“You still think we should keep the Boggart?” George asked, sounding somewhat doubtful. “It’s one thing to secretly start breeding Puffskeins, but a Boggart?” 

At that, Fred shrugged. “Why not? The guy will make a good prank, don’t you think? And it’s not like I’m planning to prank  _ mum _ .”

“True,” George admitted with a shrug. “Well, I hope it’ll be comfortable in my old trunk. Any idea how we’ll smuggle it onto the train without mum noticing?”

His brother smirked. “I do have an idea, or two.”

  
  


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Sirius stayed true to his word and started teaching her in the privacy of his bedroom. Minx felt more than strange when she first entered it and even stranger when George caught her leaving it two hours later. She felt caught, even though she hadn’t done anything inappropriate in there. He did not bring it up though and neither did Sirius. 

“You’re almost there.”

Three days before they were about to leave for Hogwarts, Hermione finally had her first breakthrough with her Animagus transformation. So far she’d only managed to grow herself some whiskers or change the shape of her eyes, but now she was on her knees, her body having grown claws and soft, brown fur. One look at herself in the mirror was enough to send her panicking. 

“I’ll get stuck,” she moaned, realizing that her voice, too, sounded somewhat off. She was painfully reminded of her second year where she’d been stuck in a body half transformed into a cat and she’d hated it. “I… I can’t do this Sirius.”

“ ‘Course you can, Kitten. You’re almost there, I promise.” His voice was surprisingly gentle, his eyes looking at her full of encouragement. “Just take a deep breath and keep going.”

Hermione grit her teeth. “I look  _ ridiculous _ .”

Sirius smiled. “Should have seen James with a set of antlers sticking out of his head, or me spouting a tail that I had to hide beneath my robes until I figured out how to make it go away. You look positively adorable compared to that.”

She could not help the chuckle escaping her mouth. “Alright, I would have loved to see that,” she admitted amusedly. 

“What? Half-transformed me wagging my tail at you?” He snorted. “I could show you, but only after you completed your transformation. And now focus, Kitten. No more distractions.”

Hermione nodded with a determined nod. She could do this, could make the transformation all by herself. She took one last breath before she focussed on her cat-form, picturing all the details she’d carefully studied over the last year and remembering how it felt to be a feline. Only then she spoke the spell.

This time it worked, her body changing its shape until she was standing on four legs, golden eyes staring up at Sirius before they focussed back into the mirror. It had worked, she realized with pride. She’d done it, truly done it.

“Knew you had it in you, Kitten,” Sirius praised, his hand combing through the fur of her back and for once, Minx let it happen without lashing out at him. 

  
  


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“Sirius?” 

It was their last evening at Grimmauld Place when the twins approached their host, making sure that no one but Minx was there to witness the conversation. “We… do you have a minute?” Fred asked with a crooked smile. “There’s something we’d like to ask you ... in private.” 

Sirius pointed his wand at the door and Minx could feel the magical energy build as the wards snapped up. Usually, they were only used when the Order had one of its meetings, but apparently, Sirius was not phased to use them for other things as well. “Ask away,” he smiled, eyes twinkling at no one in particular. 

Fred cleared his throat. “You knew our uncles, right? Must have gone to school with them or something.” 

Sirius nodded. “They were two years above me and I cannot say we were particularly close but…” He shrugged. 

“Mum does not talk about them, you know?” George continued, his voice sounding somewhat strange. “We tried to ask her once, but she started crying, unable to tell us much. We never tried asking her again after that.”

“I still don’t hear a question,” Sirius said, not sounding like he was upset talking about someone that was already dead. “What is it you want to know about them?”

“Did they have girlfriends? Boyfriends? Any romantic relationships really?” George asked, suddenly sounding nervous. Minx could see his ear tips turning red, the fingers that had been caressing her fur suddenly stilling as he waited for an answer. 

“Sure,” the older man said casually. “Both, if I remember correctly. There had been a guy named Linus, he was Hufflepuff and a half-blood, I believe, and later there was a pretty blonde witch. I think her name was Ruth. Why are you asking?”

Instead of answering the twins looked at each other, a silent conversation going on between them before Fred asked: “Who did they date? Fabian? Gideon? Or.. both of them?”

Minx could feel the nervousness radiating from him and by the look of it, Sirius could do. He sighed. “I don’t think I’m getting your point, boys. What is it this is about? Your uncles? Or you? Because I think you have a very specific question. You just don’t know how to ask.” Grey eyes stared at them intensely and once more Minx got the impression that Sirius did have a very good understanding of people. It had taken her a while to accept it but the more time she spent with him, the more she realized that he tended to say the right things to put her at ease. Here it was similar, as he did not put off the twins or give a trivial answer. He  _ wanted _ to help and his body language communicated just that.

Fred sighed. “Did they have functional sexual relationships?” He asked, brown eyes seeking out Sirius without shying away. “If so… how… did they seem to have any problems? Or…” He trailed off. 

Sirius nodded carefully. “Well, we were not particularly close which means I would not know of any personal… issues. But they dated Linus for almost two years and they and Ruth still were an item, when they left school.”

Minx breath hitched, but the twins were too distracted to realize it. “They dated the same person?” George asked, sounding like he was afraid he’d misunderstood. But he hadn’t.

“Absolutely. Seemed to be their thing,” Sirius answered with an unconcerned shrug. “Why are you… is there somebody the two of you like?” he asked, his eyes inconspicuously focussing on Minx. Her tail nervously twitched under his gaze. 

“We…” Fred said, fingers nervously combing through his hair. “We… we tried dating two girls from our year. They were friends and we thought it could work, because we’re very close as well, you see? But it was a total disaster…” he finally blurted out, sounding like he was relieved to finally tell somebody. It was the moment when Minx realized she really should not be here, listening in to their conversation, but her legs seemed to be rooted in place, unwilling to even move an inch. 

Sirius nodded seriously. He walked over to a cabinet where he extracted three glasses from, filling them with Firewhisky. Two of them he levitated towards the twins, the third one he took himself. He took a large sip from it, eyes closing for a moment before he continued. “A disaster, how?”

George accepted the glass with a thankful smile. He hastily took a sip from it, coughed, before saying somewhat hoarsely: “The more errr excited we got, the more we seemed to act and feel like one person. We sometimes feel what the other one does and... “

“It was like shagging both of them,” Fred grit out, his cheeks turning pink. “At a point, I was unable to tell who I was actually with and hell… it just felt completely wrong, you know?”

Sirius nodded, his face open and understanding. “It’s because you’re magical twins, I assume.” 

George nodded. “Some people say magical twins share a soul, but I don’t think that describes it very well. We’re still different people, but…” He hesitated. “It’s like being two sides of the same coin, I’d say. You’re different but you’re still deeply connected if that makes any sense.”

“When we’re physically close enough, or when we’re getting emotional we can hear each other’s thoughts,” Fred continued, his voice somewhat hushed. “It’s quite handy, most of the time, but it gets annoying if one of us wants some privacy…” He looked at Sirius meaningfully. 

The other man took another sip from his glass. “Well, I never talked to Gideon or Fabian about their connection, but I assume this is why they started to share a partner, rather than…” He made a vague gesture. 

The twins nodded, defeated. “Brilliant. So we’ll just have to find a girl willing to take on both of us,” George grimaced. “They’ll take us for a bunch of perverts or…” He broke off, hastily taking another sip of the whisky. This time he did not cough. 

“Think that one of us is enough trouble already,” Fred added with a humourless laugh. 

At that, Sirius snorted. “I think you’d be surprised,” he said, smiling encouragingly. “It might not be a common thing, but magical twins dating the same person is definitely not unheard of. No one batted an eye at Fabian and Gideon, not even McGonagall, the prude. People just accepted it and I think once it is known this is how you… tick, then you’ll be surprised by the offers you’ll get.” He looked at them meaningfully. “You might realize that the world isn’t as grey as it appears to be right now.”

George snorted. “And how do you think we should make it public? Make an announcement in the common room?”

Sirius shook his head. “No. But if you haven’t already you could talk to those girls and explain. You definitely owe them an explanation. And who knows? Maybe they’ll even be open to a bit of experimenting? If not, then your chances aren’t too bad that they’ll tell another female and whoosh…” He smirked. “Interesting news use to travel fast.”

At that, Fred and George nodded. Minx could see that they had already started to consider Sirius’ words and so did she. What did Fred and George being magical twins mean for her? Could she imagine dating both of them, theoretically of course? It wasn’t like they were interested in  _ her _ , they thought she was a cat. And they didn’t seem interested in young Hermione, either. They’d probably avoid talking to her, after they learned she spent two years intruding into their privacy. No, dating them most likely wouldn’t happen but still Minx found that she could not get the thought out of her head. It was the most distracting thing. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Leaving Grimmauld Place was more difficult for Minx than it had been the last time for her. Two years ago she was glad to leave the dark and gloomy place behind and with it a man she could not understand and did not feel comfortable being around. Being Harry’s godfather she had accepted him, but back then she had always secretly wished for a more mature, more reliable father figure for her friend. Now, two years later things were different. Again her perspective had shifted and it was partly because of the strange situation she had been thrown into. 

“It’s weird to tell you goodbye when you’ll be coming to King’s Cross with us,” young Hermione said, her eyes shining somewhat disapproving. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” She had not liked Sirius’ decision to accompany Harry to the train station, as she still had considered it too dangerous and reckless for Sirius to come. Today she knew they would be fine and saw the whole situation with different eyes and it wasn’t just because she’d come to like the other Animagus. She could understand his need to spend as much time with his godson as possible and living as a cat had taught her, that animals were often simply overlooked. 

“Don’t worry, Kitten,” the man replied with a smirk. “I’ll be fine. You’ll see.” He winked at her younger self and Minx stiffened at hearing him call the girl that. It was what he called her, Minx, and surely people would notice. But no one commented on it, not even Hermione. “I trust you to take care of the boys,” he whispered but it was loud enough for Minx to hear. “They might be idiots, but they need you.”

Hermione nodded and just as she took a step back, Minx wondered what boys Sirius had been referring to, because part of her thought that he had not been talking about Harry and Ron at all. 

  
  
  
  



	23. Theory and Practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another chapter for you, my lovely readers. I’m so happy to have you all and I eagerly read your comments, even though I don’t always have time to reply. 
> 
> Are you ready for a school year with Umbridge? Hold on tight, this is gonna be fun. :-)
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> Beta by Nautilicious

“We still need to test the products before we can start selling them,” George said while walking towards his first DADA lesson, proudly carrying Minx on his shoulder. It was their first full day back at the castle, but they did not seem eager to start their classes. After having spent a long train ride watching them charm and transfigure several products for their shop, Minx could tell their minds were elsewhere and surprisingly she did not blame them. She, too, was very distracted, mostly by watching their hands or the sun making their hair gleam like fire, while her mind supplied her with vivid images of Fred and George sandwiching her very human body between them, kissing her. She knew it was madness to fall into the same trap again, but after listening in to their conversation with Sirius she just could not help it. She’d secretly fancied them both for quite some time now and suddenly she learned that it was totally alright to do so. One could not blame her for starting to daydream, right?

“We’ll test them on ourselves, first,” Fred answered, totally unconcerned. “Now that we’re away from mum’s prying eyes, with Hogwarts hospital wing as a backup, we’ll finally be able to make some progress. Cannot wait to finally get the ball rolling again.”

When they entered the classroom, Umbridge was already waiting for them. Minx had decided that she would not call her Professor, not even in her head, as the nasty woman did not deserve the title. The woman hadn’t taught her anything she could not have learned from a book and the books she used for her lessons weren’t worth the paper they were printed on. 

Still, she would sit through these lessons, learning as much as she could about the  _ theory _ of the spells. She still had no idea how to learn the practical aspects, but maybe Professor McGonagall could be persuaded to help her out, or Sirius would agree to help her once she was back in her human form and therefore out of the castle. She’d worry about that later, as she would not be able to take the NEWTs together with the seventh-years anyway. She’d need at least some more weeks or even months to prepare. But she was determined to learn as much during this next year as she could. 

“Hem, hem…”

Minx’ fur started to stand up from only hearing that sound. Too many bad memories were associated with it and she had a hard time controlling her instinct to hiss at the unpleasant woman. Being outright hostile would not help her here though and therefore she tried to behave as unobtrusively as possible.

“I am sorry, gentlemen, but pets are not allowed in the classroom.”

Fred and George, who had just entered the classroom, stopped, looking at Umbridge with a jovial smile. “Aren’t they? That’s not written in the _school rules,_ we checked. Minx has been coming to classes with us since forever and we’ve never had any problems,” Fred explained with a small smile. 

George added: “She’s very well behaved, you see?”

“That’s not the point,” Umbridge replied, her voice starting to sound strained. “A pet in the classroom is still a distraction, Messrs… what are your names, boys?” 

“Fred…” “and George Weasley,” the twins replied, telling her the wrong names on purpose. No one but Minx seemed to notice. She’d always been able to tell them apart, even as a first-year, and she was unable to understand how other people could be so unobservant and not see the small differences between them. 

“I… see,” the ministry woman replied, sounding like she was making an internal note. “Well, if there is no official rule against pets attending classes then your… cat… is allowed to stay, for now. Still, I will need to talk to the Minister about this degeneration of good sense at the castle… Pets attending classes. What’s coming next? Centaurs teaching classes?” She huffed, before turning around and walking back to her table.

Minx followed her with her eyes, trying to keep her expression as neutral as possible while Fred carried her to his seat. There would be a centaur teaching, she thought, and at the end of the year, Umbridge would meet them, getting the punishment she deserved. 

The lesson progressed much as she remembered because even though she was sitting with a different class this time pretty much the same questions were asked. As it became evident that the practical use of spells would not be taught during the lessons, she could feel the twins growing more and more restless next to her. 

“So we will not be learning actual magic here?” George tried to clarify, his voice polite. 

Umbridge tutted. “What would you need that for, Mr Weasley? You’ll be taught the spells should you decide to enter the Ministry approved Auror training program. As long as you are still in school, or decide to take another path in life, the theory will be more than enough. Arming generations of students is only destined to cause trouble and conflict, don’t you think?”

George did not reply, even though Minx could tell he was biting his tongue. Still, she was happy he wasn’t trying to openly question her. She only knew too well that this would only lead to a round of detention and that was something Minx wanted them to avoid as long as possible. But who was she kidding? This was Fred and George they were talking about. Those two had a talent for causing trouble.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Alicia? Angelina? Do you have a moment?”

The boys had caught up with their ex-girlfriends after they had finished their lessons for the day and everyone was on their way back to the common room. 

“We’d like to talk to you.” It was one of the rare occurrences where they spoke as one and Minx mused that they were probably doing it on purpose. After all, she knew what Fred and George would want to talk about, as their conversation with Sirius was still at the forefront of her mind. 

“Sure.” Angelina sounded casual, but Minx could tell she was somewhat nervous. She could not blame her after what she assumed had happened between her and Fred. 

“What is it, boys?” Alicia asked, stepping at her friend’s side. “Is it about the Quidditch trials? I heard your brother wants to try out for keeper.”

George waved off. “Nah. Not about that,” he said, smiling somewhat nervously. “How about we go into this empty classroom for a moment?”

“There’s something Georgie and I’d like to explain to you,” Fred added, pointing to the door to their right. “But we’d rather do it in private.”

“That alright?” George looked at the girls with a hesitant smile, probably because he still felt guilty about what happened. It was good they finally gave them an explanation for what happened, Minx thought, jumping from Fred’s shoulder to the ground. She would not listen in to the conversation; she’d invaded their privacy enough as it was. And she’d learn of the results of it soon enough.

Part of her was afraid that things would get cosy between the four of them after Fred and George had finally explained themselves, but on the other hand, her twins deserved to be with someone they liked and fancied. It wasn’t their fault they had no interest in her.

  
  


ssssssss

  
  


When Fred and George returned to the dorm about half an hour later, it was with a smile on their faces. Their conversation had gone well then, she realized with a twitch of pain in her heart. It wasn’t her business of course and she had known that giving in to that weakness, that  _ illusion _ , would mean pain for her. She’d done it anyway.  _ Stupid _ .

“So, product testing,” Fred said, shrugging off his robe and opening the collar and sleeves of the white shirt he wore below. “I’ll go first. You can do the next round.”

George nodded. “Tomorrow we’ll switch,” he said, pulling a prototype of their Skiving Snackboxes out of his trunk. “Puking Pastilles first?”

“Why not?” Fred said with a smile. “Let’s see if we need to adjust the dosage a little more and if the antidote works…” With a wink of his wand he transfigured a bucket out of a sock, pulling it towards him. Then he looked at Minx, a crooked smile on his face. “You might want to go sit a bit further away, or go down to the common room, love. Things are about to get a little yucky,” he warned.

Minx sighed. She did not really want to see Fred or George puking, or whatever else they were about to do to themselves. But Merlin knew it might help her to finally get a grip on her feelings and end that stupid, persistent crush she had. Reluctantly she made herself comfortable on Fred’s bed.

“Staying, are you?” Fred asked, his brown eyes twinkling amusedly. Then, he shrugged, picking a sweet from the selection. “Well then, cheers!”

  
  
  
  
  



	24. Unexpected Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s your next chapter, friends. Updates have slowed down a little as I signed up for a Fremione fest, which takes up almost all of my free time atm. But I assure you, I’m still here and the updates will still be coming your way. Just a little slower.
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake
> 
> Beta by nautilicious

Minx should have known they were up to something, and she did not mean the recruitment of fellow students to test their products on. Fred and George had accepted Umbridge’s announcement of having no practical exercises during DADA too smoothly, not that she had expected them to outrightly question her like Harry had, but they had not said a word and it wasn’t like them to just accept that the Ministry was basically trying to keep them helpless and in the dark. She should have known better.

“What is the meaning of this?” Umbridge looked at the class with small eyes, motioning towards the simple trunk that stood in the middle of the classroom. Somehow Hermione had assumed it was part of the woman’s lesson plan, but considering they were basically reading from a book, regurgitating Ministry propaganda, she should have known better. “Which one of you put this here?”

The class looked at her in silence. Umbridge looked at them one after one, her beady eyes staring at them suspiciously, but none of the students raised their hand, offering the answer she sought.

“No one?”

At that Lee Jordan raised his hand. “The trunk was already here when we entered the room,” he explained, his voice laced with confusion. “Thought it was for the lesson.” Many other students nodded. 

Umbridge frowned, walking towards the brown-leathered item. “Then it maybe it was Mr Filch.” She sniffed. “Whatever he thinks I need such an ugly thing for.” With pointed fingers, she raised her wand at the suitcase. A wave and the lid flew open revealing… a mouse. It was a cute, white little thing with red eyes and twitching whiskers, but when it dashed towards Umbridge, probably in the attempt to hide somewhere less crowded, the woman ejected a high scream and leapt onto the chair that was next to her. Minx stared in disbelief.

“Get that… thing off me!” she commanded no one in particular, but all she got from her class was amused chuckled and snickers. 

“You said we aren’t allowed to use magic in the classroom,” Alicia protested, staring at the mouse with a tinge of disgust. “I’m surely not gonna touch it, Professor.”

Several girls nodded enthusiastically.

“Then catch it,” she ordered, her voice a high-pitched scream. A few boys shuffled their feet, but no one made an attempt to help the woman. It was like the Lockhart-fiasco all over again, Minx mused, feeling amusement turning into annoyance. Not only that the toad was the Minister’s puppet. She also was an idiot. Making a quick decision she leapt from Fred’s table and caught the mouse. 

It was easier than she expected, Minx mused as she carried the fidgeting animal towards her caregivers, tail proudly raised into the air. Only when she almost reached them and saw their slightly disappointed expressions did she realize she’d probably just ruined one of their pranks. She had barely finished the thought when the mouse suddenly tore loose, transforming before her very eyes into… Fred. Or was it George? Minx blinked in confusion.

“How could you betray me like that?” the false twin exclaimed, brown eyes suddenly cold and accusing. “I  _ trusted _ you!” She stiffened. Oh no, this couldn’t be happening! Her worst nightmare started to play out in front of her and all she could do was watch it wide-eyed and helplessly. Because the  _ mouse _ must have been a goddamned Boggart and right now it was projecting her worst fear without a chance for her to cast the goddamned spell. Time seemed to slow down and as the boggart’s eyes slowly turned in her direction. She looked up at Fred and George. For a split-second their eyes met before the twins seemingly simultaneously leapt into action, positioning themselves left and right next to the boggart, linking arms with him.

“Look,” Fred said, voice loud and full of amusement. “Now there’s three of us!” 

“Even though I am still the best-looking one,” George added with a twinkle in her direction. “What do you say, Minx?” 

She stared, eyes ghosting from one to the other one. It was then when Umbridge’s voice interrupted them, shaking with rage as she yelled: “You will remove that  _ thing _ from my classroom right now! I will have no interruptions!”

Fred snorted. “It’s not a thing, it’s a Boggart. Wasn’t that in one of your books?”

George shrugged. “Just cast the spell, Professor. None of us has their wands, as we’re not allowed to use them anyway,” he stated, rolling his eyes. 

The rest of the class nodded. Minx prayed the woman at least knew the spell and used it, before that Boggart said something else, or walked in her direction. She was lucky. 

With a huff Umbridge straightened, cleared her throat with her typical hem hem before she raised her voice, casting: “ _ Ridiculous _ !” 

Immediately the fake-twin shifted, spouting a pink bow and a ballerina dress. The class howled with laughter. Another spell banned the Boggart back into the suitcase, lid snapping closed under another spell, Umbridge watching it with an unsettling gleam in her dark, beady eyes. Only then she carefully climbed down from the chair, her short eyes carrying her towards the students that stood in a half-circle around her, Fred and George. 

“Now,” she said, her voice clipped. “If I find out which one of you brought that thing into my classroom…” She left the sentence unfinished, but she did not need to finish it for Hermione to know what she wanted to say. She’d experienced the woman’s idea of detention herself and she still remembered the stinging pain caused by the use of the Blood Quill. Still, right now she could not find herself to be worried about Fred and George, because though she had no doubt that it had been them who brought the Boggart into the classroom, she was way more worried about herself and her own secret having gotten out. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“You know I’d never betray you,” Fred said much later, clapping his twin’s shoulder. They were back to their dorm, Minx trailing behind them with her heart beating nervously against her ribcage. She already saw the nightmare she’d just witnessed becoming reality, Fred and George adding one and one together, figuring out her betrayal before she’d found a good explanation for what she’d done. 

“I know you wouldn’t,” George said, locking eyes with his brother. “As well as you know I wouldn’t betray you, I hope. We’re one, Freddy, in all that matters.”

Fred nodded. “Then why this Boggart?” he asked, halting in front of his brother, blocking his way further into the room. “Losing me is nothing for you to be afraid of, not in that way or any other, Georgie. I’ll always be at your side, little brother.”

George blinked. “You think that was  _ my _ Boggart? I thought it was yours!”

This twin stilled. “I am afraid of losing you, Georgie, you know I am. But not through betrayal, you idiot. I know that only death can take you from me, and I hope it wouldn’t dare. Because I’d move heaven and hell to get you back, twin o’mine.”

For a long moment there was silence between them. Minx was pretty sure there was not even a mental dialogue going on between the two of them, because it seemed like everything was said and Minx held her breath, waiting which conclusions they’d draw.

“Not our Boggart then,” Fred finally mused, his brows furrowed in confusion. “But if it wasn’t ours…”

“Who would care enough about us to be afraid of us discovering a betrayal?” George continued for him. 

Fred nodded. “There aren’t too many people being close enough to us. I mean seriously? You or I are somebody’s  _ Boggart _ ? I mean, seriously? The thought is a little…”

“Yeah,” George answered, obviously knowing the end of the sentence. Minx, on the other hand, could only guess. 

“What are we gonna do about it?” his twin continued, slowly moving towards his cupboard. “I mean… Should we try to find out whose it was? Had to be one of our friends, or one of the girls…” He trailed off meaningfully.

George shrugged. “Dunno. How does one ask someone about their Boggart without being an arse?” He paused. “Nah. Best we’ll let it go, for now. Probably it was just the girls secretly talking about what we told them about the twin-bond. And it’s not like we didn’t expect them to.” 

“True. They don’t know they’re actually doing us a favour,” Fred said with a snort. It was the last they spoke about Boggarts or what happened during the lesson. Minx felt relief sweeping over her. They hadn’t figured it out, but she knew they would in less than a year, which was when that nightmare would become reality. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Two days later Dolores Umbridge was named the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Minx had known it was coming and so had the Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, as Minx had told them about that horrible development. There was nothing anyone of them could do, obviously, but Minx could tell from the sour expression on Professor McGonagall’s face that she very much wanted to. Their eyes met for a split-second, before the Professor focussed her gaze on that despicable woman, politely clapping when she finished to make her announcement about the Minister’s decision. 

“Dark times, brother mine,” Fred murmured, throwing the teachers table a dark look. “This one is up to no good, I can tell ya. No matter how many fake-smiles she throws around.”

George nodded. “One more reason to speed up the production of the snackboxes and the other products. I’ve got the feeling that the castle is gonna need a good laugh rather sooner than later. I know it’s a little fishy, but that woman could be our chance to get our products known among the students. We can make a name for ourselves.”

“That’s probably not what mum envisioned, when she begged us to go back here. But well, we’re gonna make good use of our time here,” Fred said, biting into his toast. “How about we do another round of testing tonight?”

George grinned. “You took the words right out of my mouth.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	25. Building Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! I’m fully back to writing this story. Even though I only took a short break, it felt like ages for me. Funny that.  
> Hope you’re all still with me. 
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

“She can’t do that!” George protested, staring at the wall that now held Umbridge’s Educational Decrees. During the first days of the woman’s regency, the school had been swamped with new rules that forbade playing music during study hours, broom flight outside of  _ authorized _ Quidditch practise, and the close contacts of boys and girls. Minx knew that this was only the beginning as she’d already lived through the year once, and she did not look forward to doing it again. 

“She can, Georgie,” Fred said, his face as serious as she’d rarely seen it. “That and a lot of other things, it seems. Not even the teachers are safe from her ruling over them.”

George nodded. “Well, something needs to be done. What do you think about that secret meeting Ronnekins and Granger want to have? Should we go?”

His brother shrugged. “Don’t see why we shouldn’t. Granger’s our friend and usually when she opens her mouth she has something important to say. I want to hear what it is. Don’t you?”

“Sure I do,” George said, smiling amusedly. “Can’t wait.”

_ ‘And so it begins _ ,’ Minx thought, following them back into the common room. Tomorrow the DA would be founded and young Hermone’d make another important step towards entering the Department of Mysteries and therefore Minx’ creation. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“I cannot believe she’s letting that  _ woman _ into the castle,” young Hermione seethed, putting the Daily Prophet aside in frustration. “She’s written horrible things about you and the Headmaster and now she has a free ticket to come and go as she pleases? I can’t believe it.”

“I can,” Fred said, casually sitting down next to her on the sofa. 

George followed a moment later, taking her other side and Minx jumped at his lap with a meow, making herself comfortable. “The more the public learns about the abysmal state Hogwarts is in, the more support our dear Minister will find when opposing Dumbledore. Because that’s what this is about, don’t you think?”

Hermione nodded. “Of course. Somehow the Minister feels threatened by our Headmaster. He should feel threatened by You-Know-Who, but no. He rather keeps denying that madman is actually back, out for his blood. Stupid!”

“Yeah,” Fred murmured, his eyes focussing on Hermione. “But I guess not many people can see the truth that’s right in front of them.” 

Minx found that sentence a little poetic, as she was sitting right in front of him,  _ twice _ , without him having any idea. 

“Let’s hope Rita Skeeter does not see the truth in front of her eyes. What if she finds out about… you know… the DA?” Hermione asked, suddenly sounding nervous.

George hummed. “How would she? ‘S not like any of us are gonna talk to that… woman about… anything really. We’ll just be careful, alright? She’s not gonna learn anything from us.”

Hermione nodded and even though she still looked tense, Minx saw her somewhat relax. The poor girl and the twins didn’t have any idea that Rita  _ could _ find out, even if no one actually spoke to her. She had her ways and all it took for the DA to be found out was one of the members bringing in a beetle without noticing. She cursed. Once more her meddling with the timeline was causing trouble but at least there was finally a chance for young Hermione finding out about Rita’s Animagus form. All Minx had to do now was keep her eyes open for a beetle and find a way to bring Hermione onto the right track. How difficult could that be?

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Minx knew it would happen, eventually, but it was barely a month into the school year when Fred and George caught their first detention with Umbridge. They’d been selling Canary Creams and little fireworks to a few Hufflepuffs in an empty classroom when suddenly Umbridge stormed in, as if she exactly knew what she’d find. Only when Minx saw the little bug sitting on the windowsill did she realize that Umbridge probably  _ had _ known, but before she was fast enough to even reach the bothersome insect it escaped, flying out of the window. Blasted Rita Skeeter! 

“Cannot believe she took all our Canary Creams Georgie,” Fred moaned as they made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. “I don’t care about the detentions, the two of us have some practice in scrubbing cauldrons and cleaning trophies in the Trophy Room. But our Canary Creams… the batch she took was the work of almost two days!”

George grumbled. “I’m glad she didn’t discover the Skiving Snackboxes. Can you imagine? What would be the use of eating Nosebleed Nougat when the Toad already knew it was a hoax. We’ll have to be way more careful from now on.”

Fred nodded. “I wonder how she found out about our little sales event? We’ve only been advertising it with people we trust… Someone must have ratted us out.”

“Maybe that Boggart was right…” George mused, stroking his chin. “Hm… looks like WWW will be pretty exclusive. We’ll find a way to sell our stuff without her being none the wiser. Don’t worry, twin o’mine.”

The twins strolled towards the common room, Minx trailing behind them. They had no idea what awaited them during detention or that keeping their little business secret was almost impossible with Skeeter buzzing through the castle as a beetle. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


When Fred and George crept back into the common room around midnight, Minx was wide awake. Ever since her twins had left for detention, she had been pacing the room, her mind supplying her with vivid images of them slicing the backs of their hand open while writing lines for that evil woman. It had been impossible for her to find a minute of rest. She knew she needed to help them, to make them feel better, she only did not know how. Because a cat carrying a jar of Murtlap Essence towards them would have been more than suspicious, especially as she could not yet know of Umbridge’s treatment of the students. 

“Fuck, Georgie, I think I’m still bleeding,” Fred whispered as they dragged themselves towards the sofa at the fireplace. There were no other students around and Minx assumed they needed to discuss things before any of them was calm enough to settle down for the night. As soon as they sat down next to each other she jumped onto the sofa, seeking them out with purrs and headbutts until George reached out to pet her. It was what she had waited for, her golden eyes focussing on his hand as soon as he lifted it. She took a step back, blinked before looking at him with a pitiful meow. 

“Don’t worry Minx, it’s just a scratch,” George soothed, his hand gently combing through her fur. She held still for a few seconds, but then she moved away, her head rubbing once more against his hand before she jumped to the floor, blinking in their direction. She could only hope they’d wait here for her, but she hoped they were too knackered to head to the dorm right away.

“Minx? Where’re ya going?” Fred asked, his voice slurring. “This isn’t the way to the boy’s dorm.”

She knew that of course, but there was only one person she knew could help the twins right now, in the middle of the night. It was a long time since she walked up the stairs to the girl’s dorm, but she still knew them by heart. More than once she’d crept up here in the middle of the night, having fallen asleep over a book in the common room or coming back from an adventure in the castle. Still, when she entered her old dorm it felt somehow foreign to her, Lavender’s perfume tickling in her nose like it had never done before and the way to her old bed seeming much longer than she remembered.

“What? Minx? What’cha doing here?”

Hermione jerked awake as soon as she jumped on her bed, blurry eyes focussing on her in confusion. “Is something wrong?”

She meowed, her paws kneading Hermione’s legs through the blanket urgently. With another meow she looked at her, caramel brown eyes meeting gold ones before she jumped down again, looking back at the young witch. Luckily Hermione was used to communicating with cats and never questioned her intelligence, like  _ other people _ oh so often did. She climbed out of her bed with a sigh, throwing on her nightgown before following her downstairs on bare feet. Luckily Fred and George were still there, smiling at her when they saw her return until she saw she’d brought Hermione with her. As soon as they saw her their expressions grew uneasy. 

“Minx? What…” George started, but broke off, blinking in confusion. 

Hermione frowned. “Fred? George? What’s wrong?” she asked, hurrying towards the sofa. 

“Wrong? Nothing’s wrong,” Fred hastily said, shaking his head. “Go back to bed, Hermione.”

The girl shook her head. “I don’t think it’s nothing. Minx came to get me. I don’t think she would’ve woken me up for nothing…” she disagreed, taking another step towards the boys. 

George sighed. “We’ve been in detention, with Umbridge,” he explained, shaking his head. “Minx was a little worried I guess, though I have no idea why she felt the need to wake you up.”

Hermione smiled. “Because you have a very clever cat, boys. Show me,” the girl instructed, motioning towards their hands.

Reluctantly Fred and George held them up, showing the bleeding cuts.  _ I must not disrupt the order in school, _ it read, the skin around the writing red and swollen. 

“Looks worse than it is,” Fred tried to assure her, but Hermione shook her head with a sigh. 

“I hate that woman,” she murmured, shaking her head. “Stay here. I’ll go and get you something for the wound.”

Without waiting for a reply from the boys she turned around, hurrying up the stairs to her dorm, her bare feet making no sound on the cold stone of the stairs. Minx carefully climbed onto the sofa, a soft meow escaping her as she lay down next to Fred, her back touching his thigh. The redhead looked at her with a tired smile, shaking his head. 

“I know you were only trying to help,” he started, but could not finish as Hermione already hurried back into the room, interrupting whatever he wanted to say. 

“There you go,” Hermione said, holding up the little jar of Murtlap Essence she had kept after Harry had come back from his first detention. “Minx must have watched me when I gave that to Harry. You know he’s been in detention with that woman before. It’s Murtlap Essence. It won’t heal you completely, but it will make the sting go away and help against the scarring.”

The twins looked at her with wide eyes. “Hermione Granger, you’re an angel,” Fred said, eyes smiling. 

“A saint,” George corrected, all hesitation gone from his face.

Young Hermione smiled. “Think nothing of it. That woman is the pure evil,” she murmured, carefully opening the little jar. “Of course I’m helping against this…” she motioned towards the boys’ hands. “This is outrageous!” Hermione huffed. “Give me your hands. I’ll help you to apply it for the first time. This will not be enough for… how long are you in detention anyway?”

“One week,” Fred said, smiling as Hermione carefully took his hand, spreading the Murtlap Essence on the back of his hand with her finger tip. Minx felt the tingle in her head when her memories shifted again, her brain learning the feeling of Fred’s skin below her fingers. It felt heavenly, even now when she remembered the moment two years later, rewatching the scene with attentive, golden eyes. 

“Then this will not be enough,” Hermione murmured, letting go of Fred before taking George’s hand. “I’ll ask Madame Pomphrey for more tomorrow, boys. She likes me and I’m sure she’ll give me some more.”

The twins nodded, gratefulness and relief radiating from them.

Yes, she was influencing the timeline again, but this time Minx could not find it in herself to care. She’d needed to help them, needed to make them feel better and this time she had the means to do it. It wasn’t like her old self helping and touching them would change much, not for her, as she was already lost to them long before. There was no reason denying that any longer. 


	26. Alternate Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! I hope you are ready for some more kitten fluff. I know I am.  
> Thank you to my beta, nautilicious, and my alpha, EmiliaVBlake.

“You’re the cleverest cat there is on earth,” George murmured into her fur as he cradled her close to his chest. The twins were bed-sharing again, but she had already expected them to after going through their first detention with Umbridge. They often sought comfort from each other and after living with them for over a year she no longer found it strange or even unusual. Being magical twins they had a connection that was as precious as it was difficult but in moments as these, she envied them for having another soul that was as close as this. It must be wonderful to feel so completely in sync, accepted and understood without question. “Getting Granger to help us like that.”

Fred nodded sleepily. “You’re cleverer than many humans I know. Not her though,” he said, twinkling. “Granger puts us all to shame. She’s brilliant, you know?” 

“And kind,” George added, sighing. “I wonder if she’s still in contact with Krum. Don’t think he’s one for long-distance relationships with males and females swarming him like hungry flies, but you never know. He might wait for her… I know I would if she was mine.”

There was a long moment of silence and Minx thought she must have misheard because George barely knew her… or Hermione for that matter. How could he say something like that when they’d barely talked to each other? It did not make sense.

“Ours, you mean.” Fred’s voice was calm and there was not a hint of hesitation in it. “There’s no way I wouldn’t try to convince her to have us both, even though that’s probably totally delusional. She’s muggle-born and therefore the concept of magical twins would probably totally freak her out.”

It didn’t, Minx thought, her heart suddenly pounding with excitement. She could not imagine one without the other now and even though she wasn’t sure of the practicalities of having two boyfriends, she felt that they would be alright. Only that there was a small flaw in her plan: Hermione wasn’t theirs, at this point in her past she did not even  _ consider _ the twins. Therefore the twins had no reason to wait, because they had no idea they could have her, after she  _ finally _ turned back. Because in the unlikely case that both of them were still free and attached to Hermione, there was no saying they’d still want her after what she’d done. 

“You never know,” George murmured, his clever fingers finding just the right spot behind her ear. Was it embarrassing if she purred any louder? “She’s a logical person. If she had all the facts and knew that this wasn’t about two blokes getting their way with one woman…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter. She barely knows us and the poor girl has no idea, I’ve been ogling her all summer.”

Minx’ eyes flew open, the redhead’s hand suddenly no longer able to distract her from his words. “He had?” Merlin, that’s not what she had expected at all but now that she knew… what was she going to do with that discovery?

  
  


Ssssssss

Minx would have assumed that the twins were somewhat intimidated by Umbridge’s methods of detention and would therefore be more careful from now on. They were, when it came to selling and testing their products, but not when it came to playing pranks themselves. It was on the third day of their detention when Minx saw them transfiguring grey mice into small beads that they then hid inside the pockets of their robe. She did not understand what they were meant for, but when the next morning Umbridge sat at the teacher’s table, her eyes bloodshot while she seemed to be jumpy and on edge all the time, Minx got an idea. She would not have been surprised when during detention one or several beads  _ accidentally _ fell out of the twin’s pockets, rolling beneath the furniture and sitting there, until the transfiguration wore off. That’s at least how she would have done it. Minx stilled. Where had that thought suddenly come from?

  
  


Ssssssss

“You’re no longer allowed to come to classes with us,” George said a few days later, his shoulders hunched as he pointed towards Umbridge’s newest rule. It said that pets were no longer allowed in the classrooms and even though Minx did not care if she missed Umbridge’s lesson, she hated to miss Transfiguration or Charms. 

“Yeah. I did expect this to happen after she wanted to ban you from her classroom the first day, but I hoped she wouldn’t go through with it, when she realized that you’re not distracting anyone,” Fred murmured, his fingers soothingly combing through her fur. 

Minx meowed. She hated that this woman kept complicating her life. But maybe Professor McGonagall would be willing to help out again, not by giving her even more lessons, but by supplying her with some useful books or a room where she could safely sit down and study. After all she almost seemed to hate the High Inquisitor as much as Minx did. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


During the next weeks, Minx somewhat lost track of time. School days and weekends were bleeding together without anything significant happening, at least not for her. For the others, who had not already lived through a year of Umbridge’s tyranny, the days were hard and shadowed by more and more Educational Decrees that regulated their lives. 

“We’ll have to hang up some of those rules over the sales-counter when we open our shop,” Fred commented, when one morning the possession of unauthorized sweets was suddenly forbidden, joining the rule that forbade the use and possession of any item that was purchased from WWW. When those rules or the detentions the twins received should have discouraged them, they in fact filled them with pride, spurning them on to find new and better ways to distribute them among the students without anyone noticing. 

It was difficult, of course, with Rita Skeeter snooping around in broom cupboards, empty classrooms and even the common rooms, as some very embarrassing newspaper articles showed - and not many of them were about Harry or Dumbledore at this point. Bringing Rita Skeeter into a school full of teenagers was like letting Dudley Dursley loose in a sweet shop; the woman could not help herself and Umbridge did not seem to mind the scandals, as long as they painted the school in a bad light. More than once Minx felt like simply catching the annoying insect, putting her back into the jar where she belonged but Rita was more difficult to find than she expected. Apart from that, Hermione still needed to discover the bug’s identity. It was the most annoying thing because so far she had no plan how to do that. 

“You sure about this, Freddy?” George murmured, eyeing his twin with a sceptical expression. They had been tinkering at George’s bed for a while now, transfiguring and charming something like they often did, huddled together and whispering. “This is a pretty long shot, you know? She’s clever, I know, but she’s still just a cat.”

Fred frowned. “I know it is. But it is still worth a shot, don’t you think? What’s the worst that can happen?”

George shrugged and Fred seemed to interpret his brother’s gesture as agreement. 

“Minx?” he asked and she hastily turned her head in his direction, eying the next collar he held up for her. “Would you… George and I really need your help, you know? Umbridge’s still hot on our heels but we really need to make a few deliveries to our friends.”

Minx blinked at him in confusion, waiting for him to continue. He did with a shy smile. “Georgie and I know how clever you are, we knew it even before you got Granger to help us. You see, we’ve designed a new collar for you, one that can be used to store tiny objects inside that beautiful pendant. It’s pretty, innit?”

She meowed, her tail twitching once as George leaned down towards her, removing the old collar from her neck. “All you’d need to do is to visit the student we tell you to. Don’t worry, they’re all very nice people, we wouldn’t send you to anybody we don’t trust,” George assured her, caressing her back. 

“We’ll shrink our delivery down so that it fits into your collar. All the customers need to do is cast a little finite on whatever they find inside your pendant. Innit it clever?” Fred asked, as if he was expecting some sort of answer from her. She only looked up at him with trusting, golden eyes, not making a sound. 

It was George who continued their little speech. “You don’t have to help us, of course. It’s completely okay if you don’t want to… or can’t. We’ll just give it a try and see if it works, shall we? If this works it would help us so  _ so _ much.” He absentmindedly rubbed the back of his hand that was still a little pink from the twin’s latest detention. 

Minx sighed. Old Hermione would not have approved of their plan and she surely would not have played delivery service for pranking products. But living with the twins and experiencing Umbridge’s reign had changed her, fundamentally. She knew that most of those products would not be used against other teachers, most of them were well-liked and no one, not even the twins, were crazy enough to try pranking Professor Snape. Puking Pastilles and Nosebleed Nougat would be used to escape the boredom of Umbridge’s classes and there really wasn’t anything there that could not be learned from a book.  Therefore she’d help them until she found any evidence that she was hurting people. As soon as she did, she would stop, Minx promised to herself.

With a meow, she straightened and let Fred put the new collar around her neck. The redhead straightened it with a proud smile.

“So, will you help us, Minx? Please?” he asked with big, pleading eyes. 

She licked his hand as an answer, waiting for him to tell her who it was she was supposed to find. There really was no question about her helping them, even if it was just to pay Umbridge back and save her twins from further detentions.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	27. The best Christmas Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you might have noticed, that I am not going into too much detail with this story. There are some questions left open, like the exact amount of help Minx gets from Professor McGonagall. I just don’t feel like making this story unnecessarily long and therefore I’ll focus on the important and exciting bits. I hope you don’t mind. You can fill out the bits I left out in your mind with whatever you like. 
> 
> Thank you for your ongoing support and your kind words. You make me very happy.
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

Minx had known it was coming and so had Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. Still, she had not been prepared for the chaos and the fear amongst the Weasley children when their father got attacked by Nagini, as it was something she had not experienced firsthand the last time. 

It was the middle of the night when Professor McGonagall suddenly entered the boys’ dorm, gently shaking Fred and George awake in their beds. Minx had moved to her basket after her twins had fallen asleep as she knew what was coming and did not want the Professor to find her in Fred’s or George’s arms. That was a habit she rather wanted to keep secret from her Head of House, because she could vividly imagine the woman’s disapproval at the discovery of their nightly sleeping habits. It was something she rather wanted to avoid. 

It was only a few minutes until Fred and George were ushered into Professor McGonagall’s office and as soon as Ginny and Ron joined them, their Head of House explained what had happened. Ginny was visibly shaken, her slim body shaking and silent tears running down her cheeks as it became obvious that the woman could not tell them if their dad would recover from the attack. Of course, Professor McGonagall knew he would, as Minx had told her so weeks ago, but the woman’s grave expression did not betray her knowledge and Minx could not help but marvel at her ability to act and hide what she knew. For her, it would have been almost impossible to do, especially in her human form. How did Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster cope, waiting for Harry and Ron to show up and warn them, before they could go and save their friend and Order member? 

The next hours were long and exhausting. The siblings, Harry and Minx Flooed right into Grimmauld Place where their teary-eyed mother and a grim-looking Sirius awaited them. The matron pulled all of them in a big, firm hug. 

“I’m so glad you’re all here. My children...”

“How’s dad? McGonagall wouldn’t tell us much. Where…” George had been silent for most of the trip but suddenly it was like he could no longer hold back, desperate to learn these things. 

His mother looked at him with watery eyes. “St. Mungos. The Order arrived in time to get him there alive. They could not tell me much when I floo-called. But we’ll go there in the morning, together.”

The twins nodded and after a long time the family let go, teary-eyed and sniffing. Fred and George did not cry but their faces were a grim mask of sorrow and pain. “Do you need anything from us, mum? Do you want Georgie and me to stay with you? Or some tea maybe? A mild sleeping potion?” Fred asked, his soft, brown eyes full of worry. 

“No. Well. I… tea would be lovely, Fred. Maybe some Camomille? But you don’t have to sit with me. I’m sure you boys are tired after your long day of school.”

The twins shook their heads in sync. “Don’t worry, ma. Freddy and I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. We’ll stay with you until St. Mungos is open in the morning. We can sleep when we come back from the hospital.”

Ron and Ginny nodded. “Don’t think  _ we’ll _ go to bed now. We’ll stay here and wait as a family,” Ron said, nodding in determination. And for a moment Minx’s heart went out to him. Suddenly he appeared so serious, so grown up. It was a side she’d never before seen of him, the protective, caring son and brother. There really was more to him than the sulking, lazy boy he was at school, Minx found and for the first time, she saw the man Ron could become if he found a way to overcome his jealousy. Minx hoped he would, one day. 

The hours they spent waiting in the stuffy drawing room of the dark house were long and Minx spent most of them on the twins’ laps, helping them by giving their fingers something to do. 

Harry and Sirius had sat down on another sofa, Sirius talking to Harry in low, hushed whispers. Minx believed he was trying to learn about Harry’s dream and later on assuring his godson that it was not his fault. It wasn’t, Minx thought, and she was glad that someone was there for her friend because the Weasleys sat all huddled together, their pain and worry bringing them closer together in a way that could make everybody else feel like an outsider, even her. Yes, she sat with them, comforting the twins as much as she could but it wasn’t the same. Still, from time to time she found Sirius’ grey eyes resting on her, a knowing look shining in them. It made her feel caught. Yes, she did not really belong to this family, was only here as a guest, but she would not leave her place at their side, at least not as long as they still wanted her there.

  
  


Sssssssss

  
  


It was around two in the afternoon when Minx and the twins finally stumbled into George’s bed, the boys too tired to even remove their clothes. They smelled like hospital, bad coffee and too many hours of worry, but Minx did not mind, cuddling closer to her twins as she finally allowed herself to close her eyes. She was glad she was allowed to enter the hospital room and visit Mr Weasley who had always been nothing but kind and generous towards her. The man did not deserve to lie there, his wounded body wrapped in crisp white bandages, half of his face blue and swollen. 

Seeing him like this showed her once more how much was at stake, how easily they could lose a father, a brother, a friend. When this second year of repetition had run out for her, there was no saying what would happen, or how long it would be until they lost another person important to them. How was she supposed to be able to keep her friends, her family safe - or  _ anyone _ really? She’d barely had time to practise her spellwork or her duelling skills and she was pretty sure the Death Eaters knew spells, she had not even heard of. How was she supposed to be of any help in this war?

Minx could not finish her train of thoughts as her body succumbed to sleep soon after her body finally found rest. Fred’s and George’s proximity lulled her to sleep, their slow breaths giving her peace. How would she ever be able to fall asleep without them? 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


It was the first Christmas Minx spent with the Weasley family and she could not help but marvel at how different it was. Christmas with her parents usually was a silent affair, as they were only a small family. Often they visited the church in the evening and sometimes they went for a round of Christmas carolling, even though they had mostly done that before she went to Hogwarts to school. During the last years, they mostly sat together, enjoying the precious moments of being reunited as a family, drinking tea and telling each other what they did not want to fit into a letter. Minx loved the Christmasses with her parents, the hot chocolate and the silent cosiness of it all, but spending Christmas with the Weasleys, Harry and Sirius had another, lively and chaotic charm that was hard to resist. 

There was laughter and singing and way too much punch going around, but all in all, it was exactly what she needed and she could feel that she wasn’t the only one. Harry’s cheeks glowed with excitement as he and Sirius opened Christmas cracker after Christmas cracker, drinking punch and giggling like there was no tomorrow. She could not say which of them was more excited, as Sirius seemed giddy with excitement, while Harry took in everything with wide, wondrous eyes. Seeing the two of them together melted her heart, as did seeing the Weasley family celebrate.

“Having dad home with us is the best present you could have gotten us,” Ginny said, her eyes shining with happiness. She smiled towards her father, who still looked worse for wear, but much better than he had a few days ago. But the man was all smiles and affection and if Minx hadn’t known, she would have never have guessed what he’d just been through. 

“Christmas isn’t the same without the family,” Mr Weasley answered, putting his arm around his wife. “Had to quickly recover to make it back to all of you in time.” He twinkled, before soundly kissing his wife’s cheek. Mrs Weasley, who’d had quite a few cups of punch herself, giggled. It was obvious how much these two still meant to each other and Minx could only hope to find such a love for herself one day. 

  
  


Ssssssss

“We also have a Christmas present for you,” George announced, once they were back to their shared room. “I mean another one next to the basket mum’s gotten you. We know you won’t use that one much, anyway.” He winked at her. 

Minx had not expected anything as a gift. Being a cat had made it impossible for her to get them something in return and as the Weasleys had little enough money, she had not expected them to use any on a cat. But she had been wrong. Mrs Weasley had handed her sons a wrapped gift, announcing that it was in fact for her, because from the letters the twins wrote to her she figured that Minx was  _ almost _ as important to them then pranking. The matron had delivered those words with a teasing smile, but from the twins’ reaction, Minx concluded that it was close to the truth.

“Which is totally fine with us,” Fred added with a smirk. “Still, we wanted to get you something you’d really use. But to everybody else, our gift would have seemed a little strange…” he trailed off, handing her a small wrapped package with a bright blue ribbon around it. From the shape of it, Minx would have guessed it was a book, but that was impossible, right? “Here, lovely. Be careful when opening it.”

He slowly laid the present down in front of her, looking at her with an encouraging smile. Minx hesitated for a moment, before she grabbed the end of the bow with her mouth and started to pull. The ribbon came undone easily and Minx did not doubt that the twins had charmed it to do so, because it was the same with the wrapping paper. They had made the task manageable for her and when she had succeeded, they looked at her full of pride. Their thoughtfulness and eagerness were heart-warming. She really was lucky that Professor Dumbledore had decided for her to stay with them, because even though she had been sceptical in the beginning, she would not trade those kind moments with them for anything. 

“Minx? How do you like it?” She had been too distracted to even look at their gift at first but when she did, she realized that it was, in fact, a book.  _ Fantastic Beasts? _ Why had they gotten her this?

“Go on, open it,” Fred encouraged her, an encouraging smile on his lips. “We charmed it in a way that makes the pages easy to turn. You just need to tap here and the page will turn itself.”

“We know you probably won’t be able to read anything, but there are beautiful moving pictures in there. We thought you might enjoy looking at them,” George added shyly. 

Minx blinked. This was so thoughtful of them because of course, they had caught her looking at their school books while they were reading them. Only cats could not read, so they must have assured she enjoyed looking at the pictures. And the pictures in this book were indeed  _ beautiful _ . Minx turned page after page, staring breathlessly at the animated mermaids and pixies. This book was new and she was sure it must have cost them quite some galleons, as moving pictures in school books were pretty uncommon. They must have gotten her a special edition or something. 

“Do you like it?” Fred asked after a while, his voice somewhat uneasy. 

She did, she loved it. It wasn’t only the thoughtful gesture or them thinking her capable of enjoying such a thing as a book. They had just handed her a new source of knowledge and something else to occupy her mind. They would not mind her studying this book for hours and hours, probably assuming she was watching the pictures move. But she wouldn’t, at least not all the time, because even though she hadn’t originally planned to attempt a NEWT in Care of Magical Creatures, now she would. 

“Minx?” Fred’s voice sounded unsure now and Minx hastily turned around, rubbing her body against his leg. She had of course no way of telling them how much this meant to her, but she was determined to  _ show _ them -  _ extensively _ . 

  
  
  
  



	28. With different eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a week. Work’s pretty stressful again, but I’m muddling through. Updates might slow down a little again, we’ll see.   
> Hope you’re still enjoying this. I definitely am. 
> 
> Thank you EmiliaVBlake and nautilicious for helping me out with this story. You’re the best!

Christmas break was over much sooner than any of them liked, because returning to a castle that was under Umbridge’s control was like returning to prison, not a school. Bit by bit the woman had taken everything from them, that made their days fun and for the twins, it was harder to take than it had been for Hermione back then. The two of them strived for laughter and happiness and they did their best to preserve both amongst the students - but it was like they were slowly losing the fight - at least to them. In the end, they had left the castle and slowly Minx asked herself if they had done so because they could not take being at the castle any longer. Yes, staying had mostly been a waste of time for them, but Minx got the impression they did so not only to study their future customers but to help their fellow students through the hard reality that Umbridge brought upon them. But maybe it had been too much in the end, even for them. 

Their only light on the horizon was the DA meeting they had every now and then and even though the twins had gotten a few odd looks at first, they always took Minx with them. She loved accompanying them of course and most of the meeting she’d sit at a safe distance and watch, eager to learn and memorize as much as she could. Most of what Harry taught them she already knew, of course, but watching Fred and George duel was an entirely different matter. More often than not they duelled against each other and even though they laughed and teased each other, Minx could see their duelling for what it was: a choreography. Knowing that both of them could hear each other’s thoughts made her realize what they were doing. They were trying to trick each other, get a jinx to actually get through, even though this was nearly impossible. Some would have said that this made their training sessions useless, but Minx realized that duelling their magical twin only forced them to be more creative, or simply better than the other one - which made them both better duellers in the end. 

Today it didn’t look like they were attempting to duel each other, though. Instead, Minx could see them walking over to Hermione, who was too focussed on Harry and Ron to even notice them approaching. 

“Hey, Hermione. Wanna try duelling one of us today?“ Fred had been the one asking and Minx noticed that he often was the one breaking the ice for them. It probably was because he was a little more outgoing and George did not mind when he took the lead. 

Hermione turned towards them, brows wrinkled in confusion. “Are you… serious? You’re… I mean you’re usually duelling each other and… I mean, you’re two years ahead of me…”

George looked at her with a smile. “And still you’re one of the best duellers here. Come on. Give us a try.” He twinkled at her. Minx thought that this was a rather suggestive way of asking her for a duel, but she surely did not mind. Being jealous of herself would have been… stupid. 

Young Hermione shrugged. “Why not? I guess the bad guys will usually know way more spells than I do…”

The twins nodded seriously. “Don’t worry, Kitten. We won’t hurt you,” Fred promised, clapping his brother’s shoulder. “How about we ask Lee to join us? One of us can go against him and you can duel the other one. After one or two rounds we can switch partners, so you can have a go at both of us.”

It was actually a quite sensible idea, Minx thought and Hermione did seem to think the same. “Alright. It’s actually not a bad plan.,” she answered and so they started. 

Minx had watched herself duel quite a bit over the last weeks, hoping to catch her weaknesses and bad habits. She wasn’t a bad duelist, the twins were right that she was one of the best in the group, but it was because she knew a wide variety of spells, not because she had good reflexes or intuition. The twins had both. The years of Quidditch training had made them quick and they would dodge a spell more often than they would shield it, which saved them time and magical strength. It was a good tactic. Two minutes into the duel Hermione was starting to sweat, but biting her lower lip in concentration she cast spell after spell, hoping to land a hit. She didn’t and instead, she found herself disarmed another two minutes later, her wand landing in Fred’s hand who caught it with a practised move.

“Not bad,” he said, smiling encouragingly while offering Hermione’s wand back on his open palm. “Definitely much better than we were two years ago.”

Hermione nodded consideringly. “Still, you’re much better. I’m too slow or…”

Fred, who had been the one duelling her, shook his head. “Not necessarily. Your style’s just different. Movement is one of mine and Georgie’s strengths and even though it could not hurt to work on your agility a little, you should first start to think about what’s  _ your _ strength.”

Hermione bit her lip. “What if I don’t have one? I’m not a fighter, Fred, have never been.”

The boy snorted. “Of course you have a strength, Hermione,  _ many _ if you ask me. I’d bet you know more way more spells than I do, you just do not consider using them in a duel. Why’s that?”

Her younger self blinked in confusion. “Knowledge isn’t everything, Fred. DADA has never been my strongest area…”

“So? What about Transfiguration? Charms? I know you’re brilliant at those. Think of a way of using that to your advantage,” Fred suggested with a kind smile. 

“How?” Hermione asked, curiosity blooming in her eyes. Minx knew it was the moment Fred had captured her interest as she suddenly felt there was something the prankster could teach her. 

At that, Fred grinned. “I’ll show you. Watch.”

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“That was brilliant,” George exclaimed, falling backwards onto his bed with a happy sigh. 

“Exhilarating,” Fred agreed, gently putting down Minx next to his brother, before he rubbed his face, chuckling. “She’s a fierce one. Determined and clever. Never duelled someone like her.”

“Of course you haven’t,” George mumbled with a silly grin. “There isn’t anyone like her. Everyone thinks she’s bookish, but she’s so many more things. How can’t they see?”

Fred shrugged. “Most boys her and our age are idiots,” he said grinning. “Some would say we’re idiots, too.”

“We are, sometimes,” George admitted with a goofy smile. “Especially when it comes to Granger. At least I feel like I can barely get a straight sentence out when I’m talking to her.”

“Luckily today wasn’t about talking,” Fred stated with a snort. “I think you quite impressed her with your use of the mirroring charm. You think she’s seeing us with different eyes now?” he asked, sounding hopeful. 

George shrugged. “Maybe. But I think if we really want to go for this, for her, it will need more than one interesting duel.”

“Sure,” Fred agreed with a grin. “But at least she’ll now hopefully think we’re worth her while.”

Were they kidding her? Of  _ course _ , they were worth her while, Minx thought, lying down on George’s chest like it would make him understand. But then she realized that she might not always have thought like that, as only during those last years she’s come to know them. Maybe Hermione and the twins had more in common than the boys realized: she was an idiot, too. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Why’s Ron suddenly behaving like an idiot?” Fred grumbled a few days later. “More than usual that is.”

They were just returning from another DA meeting and again the twins had asked Hermione to duel them. She’d happily accepted, not even hesitating. 

George shrugged. “He’d probably miffed because she landed a hit on you, Freddy. You know how he is when someone’s having success, where he has none.”

His brother shook his head and Minx felt like doing the same. That wasn’t it, she thought, remembering Ron’s behaviour last year. This was something else, she thought, and Fred seemed to agree. “He’s not one to begrudge somebody’s skill or intelligence. Ron’s never had a problem with Granger having better marks or beating him in a duel. He’s taken it all with a smile, being a good sport about it. Maybe it is because she is no longer duelling him,” he suggested, smiling crookedly. “Maybe he likes her?”

George huffed. “He’s not behaving as if he does. Shouldn’t he be more… I don’t know… attentive towards her in that case?”

“Maybe he’s just being an idiot about it. He wouldn’t be the first male and also not the last one to not realize he’s fancying someone. Merlin knows we have some experience in that area,” Fred answered, shaking his head. Minx blinked. Was it possible? Did Ron truly fancy her? Two years ago the thought would have thrilled her. But now? Somehow the thought of them together felt  _ wrong _ , in more than one way. And it wasn’t only because the twins suddenly talked about her as a potential girlfriend. Merlin.

George chuckled. “Still. Can you imagine? Ron and Hermione? That would be a disaster. They’d drive each other up the wall before the end of the week.”

Fred sighed. “The heart wants what the heart wants, Georgie. Even though Granger seems to be a logical person, that does not save her from making mistakes. Though I hope she’ll avoid that one.”

She would, Minx swore, because even though the twins might reconsider their idea of dating her after they discovered her secret, she knew that she’d never end up with Ron. And it wasn’t because her friend would suddenly be two years younger than her when she had caught up with her original timeline. 

  
  



	29. The Last Straw

It took three more DA meetings for Ron to snap. This time Hermione had in fact duelled him, ending the duel rather quickly by transfiguring the ground beneath him into slippery ice, making him stumble and land on his bum. There was a round of cheering and laughter, Fred and George clapping onto Hermione’s shoulders from both sides, while their eyes danced with amusement. 

“If you continue like this, you’ll soon be able to take on both of us.”

It was that sentence from Fred that seemed to be the last straw for Ron, because suddenly he jumped to his feet and launched himself at him, his fist swinging towards the boy’s face with an angry howl. Fred must have seen the attack coming, as he quickly dodged it, making Ron lose his footing. The boy did not give up though, his brother’s move only making him angrier and he tried it again, shouting: “You arrogant prick! ‘Mione‘s not for you to play your dirty games with! You make me sick!” 

This time Fred caught his fist with his hand, holding it tight while looking at his brother with narrowed eyes. “Will you stop this Ron? We’re not playing. We’re duelling in case you haven’t noticed.”

“ _ Duelling? _ ” Ron shouted, looking at his older brother with an angry expression. “You must think we’re totally stupid! I can see what you’re doing with these  _ rumours _ circulating about you and the suggestive comments you keep making.” 

Fred did not say anything to that, just stared at his brother with a cool expression. But Ron wasn’t finished. “I won’t stand by and watch while you…” he broke off, attempting to free his hand. But even though Fred was shorter, he was stronger, the years of playing as a beater having steeled his muscles and reflexes. 

“While we  _ what _ ?” Fred asked, letting Ron go with a huff. “Be  _ very _ careful what you say, little brother, or I might try to hit you back.” 

“What? No!” This was Hermione, who finally seemed to have recovered from the shock, even though she was still staring at them with wide eyes. “Stop it, you two. No one’s gonna get hit.” She walked towards Ron. “I’m  _ fine _ , Ron. Fred’s just made a joke, right? They wouldn’t attack me as a duo.”

Minx could see the frustration on Ron’s face and a part of her was moved by him trying to protect her like that; even though she did not  _ need _ his protection. 

“Attack you?” her friend asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “Can’t you see what they’re doing? This is not about  _ attacking _ you, Mione.”

“Ron.” This time it was George speaking, his tone low and warning. “It is better for you to shut up  _ right now _ . You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“No? Because I think I do. You’re trying to get into her knickers, you…” He didn’t get any further because suddenly George took off, his fist connecting with Ron’s jaw before the boy could get another word out. Her friend was knocked backwards, George coming after him like an avenging angel, his face a mask of rage. Minx had never seen him like this and for a moment she did not know what to think. Neither did Hermione, obviously. The girl watched the brothers with wide eyes, nervously wringing her hands while she stumbled backwards, into safe distance. “No! Stop!” she pleaded but George seemed beyond hearing her, or he simply did not care. He grabbed Ron’s jumper, holding him tightly while growling: “You will take that back, little brother,  _ now _ .”

“Why should I? That’s what the two of you do all the time, innit?”

It was a lie, Minx knew it was since she’d been with the twins for one and a half years now. Their only conquests were Alicia and Angelina, because even though they did joke and flirt from time to time nothing had ever come of it. Maybe it was just how the twins were, smiling and twinkling whenever they knew it would be appreciated. Maybe it was even their way of making girls happy, who knew? It didn’t mean they were Casanovas though.

“You have no idea what Fred and I are doing, you little idiot,” George growled, finally letting go of his brother with a huff. 

“Nope, none at all,” Fred added, offering his twin a hand to help him up. George took it with a grimace, stepping away from his little brother with a disgusted look. 

George turned towards Hermione instead, looking at her with a serious expression. “Don’t listen to a word he says,” he told her, a sheepish look on his face. “Fred and I’d never…”

He broke off when Hermione shook her head with a rueful smile. “Don’t worry. I know that,” she assured him, her face clouded with worry. She said nothing else and stepped past him, hurrying towards Ron who was still on the floor. Neither of them noticed the little bug sitting in her voluminous hair, not even Minx who was distracted by the headache blooming behind her temples. The timelines were shifting again, she realized in dismay.

“Are you alright?” Hermione asked, caramel-brown eyes searching his face for injuries. There was a big bruise blooming on his jaw and Minx saw her kneeling down, her fingers carefully reaching for his friend to touch his face. She halted at the last moment, as if waiting for Ron’s permission.

“Alright?” Ron huffed, shaking his head. “Never mind.”

He pulled himself to his legs with a huff, throwing his brothers a cold look. Hermione hastily pulled her hand back, eyes full of uncertainty. Minx could tell she was totally overwhelmed by the situations, seeing the Weasley brothers fight and supposedly because of her.

She nodded, uncertain eyes focussing on him. “Can you continue duelling like this? Or shall I get you to the hospital wing?”

Ron shook his head. “I’ve had worse during Quidditch,” he stated, proudly raising his chin. “I’ll be fine until after our duel. You still want to duel with me, right?”

Hermione nodded. “Of course. Still, we need to get this treated,” she said, eyes focussing on his bruise. Minx rolled her eyes. Ron seemed to enjoy her attention a little too much, whereas the twins had moved away from them, to the other end of the room. Maybe they were right and Ron really fancied her, which meant she’d sooner or later have to break his heart. Because suddenly she knew that she and Ron just wouldn’t be happening. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Shouldn’t have hit him,” George grumbled later when they were all huddled together on his bed, Minx lying on his chest. “Even though the git definitely deserved it.”

“He did.” Fred’s answer was prompt. “He shouldn’t have said that to her. Merlin knows what she thinks now.”

“I don’t think she realized that we’re indeed interested and tried to flirt, but Merlin knows we’ll have to be more careful with that in the future,” George murmured, his fingers for once not petting her. Instead, they were gripping the mattress, tension clearly running high inside his body. Minx could not blame him. 

“Yeah. Ron’s not gonna stop being a git about this,” Fred sighed, turning to his side so that he was facing them. “Still, I’m not giving up this easily. She does not seem to have picked up on the rumours about our… errr… condition though. But I guess she’s not one for gossiping around with the other girls.”

“No,” George said, tiredly rubbing his face. “Which I’d usually be glad for. I just don’t want to be the one, having to tell her that we come as a package deal.”

“Yeah,” his brother said, closing his eyes. “But being a coward is not an option. I know what I want which is reason enough to man up, right Georgie?”

“We’re Gryffindors, after all,” the other redhead confirmed, his hand finally finding its way to her fur. “And we can’t just stand by, waiting for the wrong Weasley to get her.”

“Right you are, twin o’mine. But we need a plan. Can’t go about this the wrong way,” Fred murmured, a smile blooming on his face. “Wouldn’t want to scare our girl away, right?”

He’d called her  _ their  _ girl, Minx thought excitedly. She really liked the sound of that. 

  
  


Sssssss

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I asked my discord friends if Ron would be able to land a hit against Fred. The answers were 8:1 that he wouldn't. Sorry Ron.


	30. Bug problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning. Angsty cliffy ahead. Better wait for the next chapter, if this bothers you. 
> 
> Thank you to my alpha, EmiliaVBlake, who patiently listens to me moaning and rambling and brilliant beta, nautilicious. 

There never was another chance for the twins to duel with Hermione, since during their next DA meeting things went to hell. Minx had not expected it so soon, as in her original timeline there had been several more meetings before they were ratted out by Marietta. But the girl was totally innocent this time. Marietta was with them when the Room of Requirement started to rattle, alarming them that somebody was trying to break through the wall. Immediately the room erupted in chaos, students dashing towards the other end of the room. 

“We need an exit!” Harry muttered and the room, who must have heard the words, provided. One by one they left, splitting into several groups that left into different directions. In the end it did not matter, they were all caught. In dismay she watched Fred and George getting cornered on the 6th floor, where they had just tried to disappear behind one of the tapestries. 

“Well, well, it appears we have caught some more troublemakers,” Dolores Umbridge announced in her girly voice, the Slytherins flanking her snickering. “Messrs Weasley. I am not surprised to find  _ you _ getting yourself in trouble again. You seem to be rather incorrigible.” She smiled sickeningly. 

The twins did not speak. They only looked at her and the Inquisitorial Squad with a grim expression. Minx could feel that George wanted to put her down, the left hand he used to hold her loosening to give her the chance to jump to the ground and flee. She didn’t. Instead, she kept holding on tight, her claws digging into his robe to not lose her footing. Minx would not leave the boys alone with that evil woman, no matter how little she was able to do for them. She’d stay and it wasn’t only to see if things played out like they did the first time around.

  
  


Ssssssss

They did - almost. At the end of the night, Albus Dumbledore had left the school and Dolores Umbridge was declared Headmaster of the School. Rita Skeeter, who had somehow discovered their secret DA meetings, was awarded a special award that praised her importance and dedication during the school year. Minx glared at her. Gods, she hated that woman.

The DA was smashed, all the members receiving a week of detention. Most of them had no idea what they were in for, but Harry, Fred and George did, as did Minx. She swore she could still feel the evil quill digging in her skin, cutting it until it was bleeding. Luckily she had not kept any scarring and hopefully, neither would her friends, not if she could prevent it. Confiding in the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall had given her the advantage of being able to ask for help and her Head of House had gladly provided her with as much Murtlap essence as she needed. 

Still, she had the feeling that she’d need something stronger this time, because the glint in the stocky woman’s eyes told her that this would be bad, at least for Fred and George. Umbridge hated them with a passion, because no matter how much she punished them, she did not seem to be able to control them - and absolute control was something this woman strived for. 

“Now we don’t even have the DA any longer,” George sighed, tightly holding onto his twin for comfort. “Gods, can this school year get any worse?”

Fred hummed. “With her Toadyness as a Headmistress? Are you kidding? This will be a nightmare!”

Minx agreed. The next weeks would be bleak. Last time Fred and George had been the only ones giving the students hope, their pranking articles giving them a way out and a distraction from the sad truth. But how much longer until they would leave, Umbridge being even too much for them to handle? Weeks? Months?

“We’ll no longer have a chance to duel Hermione,” George said somewhat hopelessly. “With her hanging around with Harry and Ron most of the time we probably won’t even get the chance to  _ talk _ to her. And in a few months, we’ll be gone from the castle.”

“I know.” Fred huffed. “He’s been more clingy with her those last days. And he’s been sending me death-glares.”

“Same. He hasn’t spoken a word to me since I lost my patience with him. Still think he deserved that punch.”

Fred snorted. “Sure he did. He was lucky you got to him first. I would have punched him at least twice.”

“To be fair, at his age most of my thoughts were also about sex. He’s probably not able to grasp that this is about more than shagging,” George sighed, finally letting go of his twin. “Until we get to  _ that _ point, it would probably take quite some time. Hermione’s still young and the thought of being outnumbered by two blokes probably scares her like… a lot. Cannot blame her.”

Minx considered his words, carefully. Yes, the thought of being wanted by two men felt frightening and she probably would have had a problem with it, if it was anybody else but the twins. But with the two of them… She’d lived with them for months now, had gotten to know their kindness and how close they were. To her, it would have felt strange to only date one of them and it wasn’t only because it would be impossible for her to decide. If there only wasn’t the fact that she’d been their cat for two years. 

When she would finally be allowed to turn back, she’d be two years older, which would make her even older than Fred and George. Minx, would suddenly disappear. There was no way she’d let them mourn her, when she was in fact alive. So hiding the truth was not an option. They deserved to know what she did, that she  _ knew _ , and she could only hope they’d forgive her and still want her afterwards. Because apart from the fact that she’d invaded their privacy, she also wasn’t the same person that she’d been before. She sighed. Only time would tell if there would be a happy end for her, for them, and time was slowly running out, she felt. 

  
  


Sssssss

  
  


“Not sure how many more detentions I can handle,” George moaned, cradling his bleeding hand. “Godric, I hate that woman.”

“ ‘S not only because of us,” Fred murmured, rubbing the Murtlap Essence onto the swollen skin. “We can handle this better than the young ones. She’s making all of them do it, even the little ones.”

“I know, George murmured, his voice shaking with anger. “And we’ll make her pay for that, won’t we Freddy?”

“Absolutely, Georgie. We’ll let chaos reign over the school and she’ll wish she never laid a finger on those kids, or driven off Dumbledore. You’ll see,” Fred promised, his fingers digging into Minx’s fur. It did not hurt but it also wasn’t the gentle stroking she was used to from him. But it did not matter. He needed somebody to anchor him and she’d be there for him.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Fred and George kept their promise and during the next days, there were Wheezes in the corridors and even in classes - well, in one class. Like last time, the other teachers and the students seemed to have reached some unspoken agreement and formed an alliance. There was no pranking in their classes and in return, the other Professors turned a blind eye on the ongoings in the corridors. More than half of the students suddenly felt sick during DADA, stumbling out of the classroom with bleeding noses, high fever or puking like there was no tomorrow. Madame Pomfrey excused them all without questions, diagnosing illnesses even though Minx could have sworn she knew that it was all just a hoax. With every passing day, Umbridge looked more drawn and on edge, and there was a twitch in her eye that made Minx excited and scared at the same time. She should have known to be more careful. 

“Look what we have here.”

Minx had just been on her way towards the Hufflepuff Common Room when her way was blocked by a nightmare in pink. She’d been tasked to make another delivery for Fred and George but when she saw the sickeningly sweet smile on the toad’s face, she knew it would not happen. She was in trouble, or worse, Fred and George were. 

“If that isn’t the troublemaker’s cat. Come here, lovely. Let me see what you have there.”

Minx threw one look at the horrible woman before she turned around and ran. She needed to get away from her, because being caught while delivering the twins’ products would be bad. 

“Stupefy!” Umbridge’s high-pitched voice gave her enough warning of what was to come and Minx hastily dodged the curse, her feline reflexes helping her to do so. She was faster than the woman with her short legs, she only had to make it around the corner and she’d be able to disappear into one of the hidden passages. 

“Locomotor Wibbly!” Minx had been too focussed on making a quick escape which was a mistake, as she was too slow to dodge the next curse. She remembered being hit by the spell during DA practise, but she’d never been in full run and therefore she was not prepared for how much it hurt as her body suddenly collided with the ground, her legs no longer able to support her. 

“Now, now, this is a bad, bad kitty,” a high, girly voice said shortly before two stocky legs stepped in front of her.

The pudgy woman knelt down, carefully reaching for her. Minx could not help it, she hissed and raised her fur until she was doubling in size,  only that the effect was somewhat lost, as she was lying helplessly on the floor.  This monster would not touch her, not in a million years. Only that it was wishful thinking on her side. 

All she could do was land one hit, her claws digging in the pudgy flesh of  the woman’s face . It made Umbridge flinch back for a moment, but when Minx tried to scramble back to her feet and run she felt a body-bind hit her body,  petrifying her on the floor. 

“You vile wicked creature!” the woman shrieked, angrily pointing her wand at her.  “No wonder  you’re such a fierce little beast , growing up under such a bad influence. Don’t worry, you little beast. We’ll make a good little kitty out of you. It’s never too late to better oneself, lovely, even if one had to suffer under such a bad influence. You’ll see.”

Minx could not scream or fight, when Dolores Umbridge picked her up, weighing her in her short arms like a baby. ‘ _ No _ ,  _ dear Merlin, please no _ ,’ Minx thought but no sound passed her lips - not that there was anyone there to hear her. 

  
  
  
  
  



	31. A Nightmare in Pink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There’s angst ahead but you probably already suspected so after Minx was catnapped by Headmistress Umbridge. She really is in trouble. There will be no permanent harm, I promise. But being who I am this was bound to happen. I love writing angst. Sorry. 
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

The way to Umbridge’s quarters was the longest of Minx’s life and it wasn’t because she desperately prayed that somebody saw her being taken. No one did, of course, because most of the students and even the portraits gave Umbridge a wide berth. Minx knew it was since the despicable woman had ordered the removal of two paintings. The painting of Belby the Babbling had been in the corridor that led to her office, and the toad had seen him drinking wine with Sir Knickeldon  _ once _ . She claimed that they were not setting a good example for the students, which was nonsense because from what Minx had heard it had been after curfew. Still, no amount of pleading kept her from teaching them a lesson and so both portraits were removed and brought away. Minx hoped they had not been destroyed, but with Dolores Umbridge one never could be sure. 

“Here we are, Lovely.”

When the door fell closed behind her, Minx felt like she’d just been buried alive. If the woman had brought her to her office she could have hoped, that a student in detention would take notice of her, but until today Minx hadn’t even been aware of where Umbridge’s private quarters were located, because to her dismay they were not right next to the woman’s office. Instead, her quarters were close to the Ravenclaw Common Room, in a little lofty tower she’d never taken notice of. She imagined there was some kind of notice me not-charm on the door, like it was probably the case with all the Professor’s quarters, Minx speculated, but the realization only made her feel even worse. Who would have the chance to find her here? 

Minx was put down on a pink sofa that was covered by a pink knit blanket. A snap of Umbridge’s wand made the body bind that had been holding her disappear and even though Umbridge’s beady eyes focussed on her, telling her to stay put, Minx dashed towards the closed door, puffing up to her full size again. 

“You’ll live with me, from now on,” the evil woman announced, her wand tapping against the table. “You’ve been influenced by those … rascals long enough. Boys like them should not have a pet, to begin with. Luckily I’m here now to take care of the situation,  _ and of you _ .”

Minx shuddered. She did not like the sound of that. 

“You will learn to obey,” Umbridge went on, focussing her with an icy stare. “And to behave like a proper, well-trained kitten. We’ll also have to do something about that untamed fur of yours. Those wildlings did not brush you once, did they?”

Minx did not reply, the cold stare she gave the woman the only reaction she gave. This would not be pretty, she realized in dismay. 

“Well, we will change that. But first things first.”

Before Minx realized what was happening the witch made a sharp gesture with her wand and a moment later her collar fell to the ground, the pendant making a jingling sound. Minx watched it with a frozen expression. It was like her twins had suddenly gotten even more unreachable for her, which was nonsense of course, since the collar hadn’t held protective spells or anything of the like. Still, she knew that the boys would look for her and they would hopefully be clever enough to draw the right conclusions. 

“That is better. You will get your very own collar from me, of course,” the vile woman announced, walking towards a small cupboard at the other end of the room. Strangely it held several collars in all shapes and forms. What did she need so many cat collars for? Did she plan on changing her every day? 

Her jailer picked a golden collar with a pink jewel heart dangling from it and Minx immediately disliked the ugly thing. But she guessed she should consider herself lucky if all the woman did was dress her up, even though the thought of being touched by her felt already bad enough. 

“Now, my pretty little thing. You’re going to hold very still now. You wouldn’t want me to paralyze you again, would you?” Umbridge asked, her face imitating a sad expression. Minx found herself hissing when the woman stepped towards her, raising her fur in defense. Umbridge’s only reaction was to raise her wand towards her and with a small flick of it, the collar sailed towards her, quickly snapping shut around her neck. 

Minx hissed. This wasn’t just a normal collar she realized, as she could feel it pulsating with some sort of wicked magic. Oh, she should have realized that this wasn’t just about making her look presentable. 

“There. That’s better,” Umbridge said, her words being followed by a girlish giggle that made Minx’s fur stand up in alarm. “You see, this pretty collar is my personal invention. It will help to make you understand which behaviour is acceptable behaviour for a good cat and which behaviour is not. You see, this collar will teach you even if I cannot be there to take care of you, isn’t that fabulous? It’s like I can be always by your side.”

Minx closed her eyes, her stomach lurching in panic. Going by her experience with the blood quills this wouldn’t be pretty. It was like she’d landed in her very personal nightmare, a nightmare in pink!

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


It was when Umbridge finally left her quarters half an hour later, that Minx felt like she could finally breathe again. Her chest was still tight with panic because she knew she needed to find a way out of these rooms as soon as possible, and it wasn’t only because she knew that the twins would probably be worried about her by now. She could only hope they’d started searching for her, even though they probably had no idea where to look. She’d probably have to find a way out herself.

Making a quick decision she leapt from the sofa, forcefully walking towards the door. Jumping up and pressing the door handle down was probably a little naive, Minx thought, but the jolt of pain caught her totally unprepared. She should have expected it, wearing a collar crafted by the biggest sadist she knew. The woman was a psycho and forcing her into a collar that delivered something like electric or magical impulses was so down her alley. Minx hissed. 

The door did not open. After making a few more attempts in opening it she decided that it must have been locked, or warded, probably both. Bollocks! What about the windows? Minx hastily scrambled towards the windows and with dismay she realized that Umbridge’s chambers were located in a tower and climbing down the wall of bricks, in danger of falling down deeply she was nothing she could see herself being able to do. She’d barely managed Mrs Norris blasted cat-tree. She yowled in frustration. There had to be something she could do,  _ anything _ . With growing desperation she found herself clawing her new collar, her paws started to burn like they were on fire as soon as she touched it. This blasted thing wasn’t coming off, she realized with growing desperation. But there had to be a way to get out of here, there always was a way. She just needed to find it.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


She’d landed in her own personal hell, Minx thought, staring down at the smelly cat food in front of her. Umbridge had been in a brilliant mood when she returned from whatever she’d done outside of her chambers an hour later, humming an all too cheerful song as she prepared Minx’s food. Minx would rather starve than eat a bite of it, she decided, turning away from the rose-golden food-mug her jailer had proudly provided to her. She would not eat this, not in a million years. The thought alone made her stomach roil in disgust.

“You will learn to eat what is considered proper food for an animal like you,” Umbridge stated arrogantly, watching her from the pink sofa with glinting eyes. “With time you will learn your place, don’t worry my dear.”

‘ _ We’ll see about that _ ,’ Minx thought, slowly walking towards the hilarious, pink basket the woman had provided for her. Better she pretended to sleep. It would buy her time, because she hoped the terrible woman would leave her alone when she thought her asleep. And every hour that passed, the twins were probably closer to rescuing her. Oh, how she wished to know where they were and what they did. Had they even realized she’d gone missing by now?

  
  



	32. Losing Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s another angsty cliffy at the end of the chapter. Sorry about that. Things will get better in the next chapter though, I promise.
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

Minx barely slept during the night, her body and mind too stressed to relax enough to fall asleep. She could sleep and eat as soon as she made it out of this hell-hole she told herself, stubbornly ignoring the rumbling of her stomach. The cat food mug was still there. She bet Umbridge left it there for her on purpose, probably hoping that she’d eat as soon as the woman had retired for bed. Minx huffed. The old hag did not know her one bit. 

Minx searched Umbridge’s apartment as thoroughly as she could, her attention being caught by the horrible cat plates the woman displayed along the walls. Now and then there was a silent meow, or a purr, but Minx tried to not let it distract her. Bathroom, nothing. Kitchen… there were cupboards full of plates and porcelain, knives and other cutlery… but nothing that would help her to break out. The door of the fridge was firmly closed and with Umbridge being next doors she did not dare to transform back and try to open it. She’d turn back into her human form tomorrow, when Umbridge was occupied with teaching classes. Having her human form and her wand would make things much easier and Minx was sure that by then, she’d find a way out.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


The next hours were the longest of Minx’s life. Come morning she was already completely exhausted and it wasn’t only from the lack of sleep and food. She did not know how many things she had tried, some of them provoking punishment through the blasted collar she was forced to wear, but the constant tension took its toll on her and left her achy and drained. Soon she’d be able to rest, she told herself over and over again, because there was no way she was spending another night in this pink, creepy apartment. Before  _ that _ happened, she’d jump out of the window, Minx swore. 

“I see you’re still turning up your nose on your food,” Umbridge said, reappearing from her bedroom with what looked like magical curlers in her hair. Minx had always assumed those things were only necessary for a Muggle, but she was obviously mistaken. Umbridge used them too and Minx could not help but ask herself if anyone but her had ever seen her with them. The woman had no idea she was an Animagus, after all. “Well. We’ll give it a little time, shall we? You’ll be surprised how quickly you change your mind once the hunger is big enough.” She chuckled. “Anyway. I’ll be back in the evening, my dear. I’m sure you’ll be much more approachable by then.”

The woman cast her a sickly sweet smile. ‘ _ You wish _ ,’ Minx thought, making a show of it to turn her back at her. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Ten minutes later Minx was back in her human form but, to her dismay, she realized that she must still somehow be wearing that blasted collar, since the spell on it was still affecting her. How was that even possible? She’d have to find out as soon as she made it out of these rooms. 

Only, how to do that? Hermione tried  _ Alohomora _ and when this did not work she tried to blast the door open. When a wave of pain threw her backwards she realized that this was something she’d better not try again. But what else could she do? 

In the end, she was desperate enough to climb the window, ignoring the intensifying pain from the blasted collar. But as she stood on the window sill, staring down the long way to the ground, she realized she could not do it - whatever  _ it _ was. She couldn’t just jump, hoping to slow down or cushion her fall. That would be suicide. 

With a groan, she climbed back down, her frustration growing until she could barely hold it together. There had to be something she could do, a way to get help or… She paused.  _ Of course _ . If she could not get out she needed someone to help her and right now there was only one person at the castle who knew she wasn’t really a cat. Yes, sending a message to her Head of House was risky, but if she kept it cryptic enough… Professor McGonagall was a quick thinker. She’d recognize a hidden call for help for what it was.

Hermione straightened and gripped her wand tight. It had been years since she’d last cast a Patronus and never before she’d needed it for delivering a message. Still, it was her only way out of here so she  _ needed _ to succeed. 

“Expecto Patronum!”

The words fell easily from her lips, but to her horror, not even a small wisp of light came from her wand. There was nothing.  _ Impossible! _

Hermione tried again and  _ again _ , growing more and more restless with every failed attempt. It wasn’t the wand movements or the incantation, she knew, but the fact that she did not have a happy enough memory to rely on. Last time she’d used a memory from a holiday she and her parents had made after her fourth year, but she wasn’t the same person she’d been back then any longer. Thinking about her parents or her friends  _ hurt _ , she’d not talked to them in such a long time. Would they even be able to resume their relationship after she’d was allowed to transform back? What would Harry, Ron and she even have still in common? And what would her parents say when they realized they’d missed two years of their daughters life?

Hermione sniffed, sadness and desperation overcoming her. She could not do it, could not cast a Patronus and call for help, no matter how often she tried. Even her memories of Fred and George cuddling her felt tainted now. They’d only done it because she’d lied to them, pretended to be something she was not. 

With a sob, she let go of her wand, the piece of wood clattering next to her to the floor. It was useless to her now, she was useless and arrrgh…

Before she realized what she was doing she stormed towards the table, ripping the ugly tablecloth down, sending delicate cups and pencils flying to the ground. Some of them broke, and for each broken piece, Hermione was punished with another flash of pain. She did not care. Breaking Umbridge’s things felt  _ good _ . Maybe her way out was ripping this room to pieces, making Umbridge realize that she did not want her here or anywhere near to her belongings. It was a small flash of hope, but it was all she had. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


When Umbridge returned from her afternoon lessons, Minx was back in her cat form, sitting high up on one of the woman’s shelves that were now blissfully empty from any belongings. 

“What in the name of… what have you  _ done _ ?” The woman’s small eyes fixed her with a narrowed gaze, her voice high and shrill. “You wild, ungrateful cat! Do you have no manners?”

Minx watched Umbridge as she walked into the room, pulling out her wand and aiming it at her. She’d expected her to do so, expected her to rage and scream and even curse her. Minx would just have to be faster. 

As the first spell flew towards her she quickly jumped to the floor, the shelf behind her breaking into hundreds of tiny pieces. Next were the desk and the table and after that the woman’s bed when Minx fled into the bedroom, hiding below the massive, ugly thing that was covered in too many pink pillows. It felt good seeing the woman destroy her own stuff, especially as the collar did not punish her for it, as she wasn’t the one doing the damage. Umbridge was it ripping through the pillows, sending feathers flying through the room, howling with anger. She had long lost control and snapped. Was it possible that it would alert the other teachers or the house elves?

Minx’s thoughts were coming to a sudden halt when her body was hit by a body bind, her body freezing as she tumbled to the ground. 

“I  _ will _ have order!” Dolores Umbridge exclaimed as she lifted her up, staring at her with a narrowed expression. “And you will learn to behave.”

Minx felt herself being grabbed by the neck and carried to the bathroom, the woman filling the sink with warm water and soap. “You will learn your place, learn to fit in, just like the others.”

Minx felt another spell wash over her, enabling her limbs to move again, if only very slowly. Running away or attacking the woman would be impossible like that. What  _ others _ was the woman even talking about? The students? Or did she have other cats Minx did not know about?

When Umbridge lifted her into the warm water, adding smelly soap to the water Hermione remembered the collars she’d seen in the woman’s cupboard. What if she wasn’t the only cat Dolores Umbridge had? No, that could not be. She would have seen the others somewhere, right? The only cats she’d seen were in those horrible plates and… Minx stiffened in horror. Oh no. Nonononono. This couldn’t be right. No one would be so cruel and trap a living being in a picture right? RIGHT? But this was Dolores Umbridge they were talking about and Minx thought her capable of almost anything, she realized in dismay.

“This is your own fault,” the woman chided her while rubbing more smelly soap into her fur. “I  _ tried _ to teach you manners, gave you food and a place to sleep. I gave you everything a well-trained cat could wish for but instead of being grateful for it, just decided to behave like a wild animal again.” Umbridge shook her head in disapproval. “But I will have order and you will be a pretty, well-behaved little kitten.  _ Just like the others _ .”

There, she said it again, Minx realized, and she did not like the tone in Umbridge’s voice one bit. There was a mad tint to it she had not noticed before, but now that she did, she could not help but shudder. 

Suddenly time moved way too fast, as Minx was back to the living room that Umbridge had restored with a wave of her wand in no time. There was a glint of satisfaction in the woman’s beady eyes, as Minx watched shelves rebuild themselves, seemingly without effort. It had all been for nothing, she realized as Umbridge pulled a brush through her fur, the stiff bristles scratching her skin and painfully tugging at her hair. This could not be happening, she thought over and over, her eyes wandering to the numerous cat plates displayed on the wall. Only now she noticed that none of the cats there really looked happy, most of them having a desperate or angry glint in their eyes, while they paced from left to right and back. How had she not noticed that before? She knew the answer. She’d barely given the ugly plates a second look, taking them for just another sign of the woman’s bad taste in decoration.  _ Stupid _ .

“You will look very pretty, you’ll see,” Umbridge promised, taking a pink bow and fastening it around her head. “Very, very pretty.”

Before she could say another word though, there was a knock on the door. Umbridge put her down, walking to the door. 

“Mr Filch. What can I do for you?” 

Minx’s heart leapt in her chest, hope suddenly flooding her. If Argus could only see her, realize that she’d been taken… With heavy limbs Minx dragged herself to the edge of the sofa, her body noisily tumbling onto the floor as the spell the woman had put on her enabled her to properly jump. Luckily the sound was enough to alert her jailer, Umbridge’s head whipping around as she focussed her small beady eyes on her. 

“What’s… Is that a cat?” 

Suddenly Filch’s wrinkled face appeared behind the short woman, grey eyes focussing on Minx as he studied her appearance. She stared at him with golden, pleading eyes. ‘ _ Please get me out of here _ ,” she chanted over and over in her head, a pitiful meow escaping her mouth. Filch blinked. 

“Hemhem.”

The sound of Umbridge clearing her throat was enough to break their eye contact, Filch hastily focussing back on the current Headmistress instead. 

“Sorry ma’am. I just wasn’t aware of you having a cat. She’s a pretty little thing, like my Mrs Norris.” He smiled widely.

“Indeed. She is.” Umbridge said, her voice sounding sickeningly sweet. “Even though she still needs to be taught some manners. Anyway. How can I help you, Mr Filch?”

The old man in the door shifted. “There’s been another disturbance in the corridors again. I’ve confiscated some more of those illegal firecrackers, you see?”

Umbridge nodded. “Yes, yes, of course. Hand them over to me, Mr Filch. They are just another piece of evidence I will collect against those insufferable twins. Not much longer and I’ll be able to permanently remove them from the school.”

Argus Filch nodded and as he handed the woman a bag full of something, his eyes wandered back to Minx. She could have sworn there was recognition in them, there had to be.

“Is there anything else you wanted?” Umbridge asked impatiently, lowering the bag of firecrackers next to her to the ground. 

The caretaker shook his head. “No ma’am. Just wanted to give this to you right away.”

“Very well, Mr Filch. Thank you. If you’ll excuse me now. I am quite busy,” Umbridge stated and in dismay Minx saw the man nodding, saying his goodbyes before taking a step back. Seconds later the door fell closed. He had not helped her, had not said anything that would get her out. Minx was doomed, because even if Filch had recognized her and decided to get help, she knew that help would probably come too late for her. 

  
  



	33. Imprisonment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been a good author and so you’ve had two chapters yesterday, followed by one chapter today. Wanted to get you through that angsty part as quickly as possible. 
> 
> Thank you for your ongoing support and encouraging comments. They make me very happy. 
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

_ One hour, three minutes and seventeen seconds. _ That’s how long she’d been trapped into that blasted plate until she felt like giving up. There wasn’t much, a single, big, round window without a handle with which she could see Umbridge’s office, see the woman go about her daily life, throwing her a triumphant gaze now and then. There also was a basket ( again held in nauseating pink), water and a food bowl filled with cat food. Umbridge told her that she could eventually earn herself a toy or even a cat tree by behaving appropriately, whatever that was supposed to mean. 

She’d counted the minutes, the seconds, her hope dying a bit more with every second that passed. Had Argus even realized it was her he was seeing? And if so, would he be willing to act against the current Headmistress and help her? After seeing him doing the woman’s bidding for months now, she almost doubted it. He was the only one who’d seen her in these chambers though, the only one knowing that she was here. How would she even be found, being trapped in a plate that no one but Umbridge even looked at? She could not see Professor McGonagall or any of the other teachers joining that insufferable woman for tea in her chambers. In short, she was stuck for Merlin knew how long. 

Could one starve while being trapped in a plate? She wasn’t sure even had a real body any longer. But seriously. She wasn’t going to eat the damned cat food, not in a million years.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


_ Two hours, thirty minutes and fifty seconds _ of utter boredom and glaring at that evil woman. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could do this, keeping her mind occupied and preventing it from panicking by counting the time that had already passed and by planning out her revenge on Dolores Umbridge. But this could only take her so far. She was dead tired, her stomach rumbling, making the cat food look more and more appealing for her. But no, she’d only gone a day without food and she knew that a human could survive many more. How was it with Animagi? Did they have a faster metabolism? She did not know.  _ Why _ did she not know? She swore that she’d learn, once she made it out of this hell hole. 

  
  


Ssssssss

_ Five hours and Merlin knew how much longer _ and there was still no sign of someone coming for her. Umbridge had gone to bed by now, her ugly body clad in a pink fluffy nightrobe as she wished Minx good night with a sickly sweet smile. Minx too laid down in her basket, in the darkness she was barely able to see its insulting colour. How much longer would she be able to stay sane under these circumstances? How much longer until she would break, trapped in here with nothing to do? 

Sirius had survived Azkaban for twelve years, she told herself, and she was sure that being surrounded by hungry Dementors was much worse. She could survive in this prison, too, no matter how boring and mind-numbing it was. She guessed sleeping was a good way to pass some time because if someone came to rescue her, or even entered this room, she’d know. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


It was the middle of the night when the castle walls shook after what sounded like a mighty explosion. Minx awoke with a gasp, her mind being completely awake in a matter of seconds. There was another explosion, then some manic laughter that was probably coming from Peeves. Was it him bringing chaos, or had he teamed up with her twins? Minx did not know, but she could not help the flicker of hope growing in her chest.

Seconds passed before the bedroom door flew open, revealing Umbridge carrying a thunderous expression. “I swear. When I catch these rascals…” she growled, storming out of her flat without ending the sentence. Minx could only hope Fred and George would be safe, it was them causing trouble in the castle. 

Minx walked towards the window, positioning herself right in front of it, staring into the darkness of the room. If somebody came for her she’d know and hopefully be able to call for help. 

At first, nothing happened, sounds of explosions and fireworks echoing through the castle in the distance. This time they were farther away and Minx could not help the disappointment creeping up on her again. Whoever this was was moving away, not towards her. 

She’d barely finished the thought when the door to the apartment sprang open. At first Minx feared it was Umbridge, returning home already, but then she recognized the silhouette of Professor McGonagall, or better her cat form. There were green cat eyes shining in the darkness, her Head of House entering the room on silent paws. 

This was her chance, Minx realized, scratching at the window, calling for her. But the Professor did not seem to notice her, green eyes searching the room, before disappearing next doors, not returning for a while. Minx could not blame her. She was pretty sure the woman was searching for her, expecting to find her on the sofa, the bed or well… anywhere but trapped in a plate. Still, there had to be a way to make the Professor realize where she was, Minx thought, first starting to pace, then do jump against the window. She could not be sure that the animagus would hear her, but she had to try.

It felt like an age until her Head of House returned to the living room. Minx could tell she was confused, her green eyes scanning the room once more in concentration. Again Minx jumped against the window, her body bouncing back with a loud thud, at least at her side of the glass. But had McGonagall heard?

She had. Ever so slowly Minx saw her lift her eyes, scanning the cat plates one by one until they came to rest on her, widening in realization. It was only a split-seconds until she transformed back and stormed towards her with an angry expression.

“Oh no, she did not,” she growled, plucking Minx’s plate from the wall. “This sick, evil creature. Don’t you worry, Minx. I’ll get you out of there,” the woman promised, her eyes shining with sincerity. Minx meowed, putting her paw against the window as if it would bring her closer to the woman, who’d come to rescue her. It didn’t, but Professor McGonagall seemed to understand, as sent gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Only a little longer,” she promised her. “We’ll be out of here in a minute, I’ll have to take you back to my chambers to transfigure you back.” She explained. “Let’s go.”

Minx nodded, her heart growing light with relief. And when the world suddenly grew dark outside she knew that it was only from McGonagall hiding the plate below her robes, before sneaking out of the room.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Where is she?”

“Do you have her, Professor?”

Minx was never so relieved to hear Fred’s and George’s voices than at this very moment. The world was still dark around her, but the walls of her prison had stopped shaking, probably indicating that the Professor had slowed down her movements after she entered whatever room she was in now. 

“Calm down, Messer’s Weasley. And follow me into my quarters. You cannot remain in my office, as it’s only a matter of time, until someone complaining about the chaos you’ve just brought about the school shows up. We wouldn’t want him finding both of you here, would we?”

The Professor’s voice was sharp, but Minx could have sworn there was a hint of humour in there, too. 

“Better not,” Fred answered. By now Minx could easily recognize him by his voice, even though it had been difficult for her in the beginning. “Wouldn’t want you to get in trouble for helping us, Professor.”

“Which we are very grateful for,” George added, a hint of nervousness reflecting in his voice. “But… could you find her, Professor? Filch said he’s  _ seen _ Minx with Umbridge and for once I believe him. He and Minx seem to be something like friends and he seemed genuinely worried. But… you did not bring her, did you?”

Minx heard a door close and she assumed they had just entered the Professor’s private quarters. She could hear and feel her Head of House moving, until suddenly she remained completely still. “Now would you two sit down? Your shuffling is making me nervous and I’d rather explain this to you unhurriedly.”

“Alright. Sorry,” her twins mumbled in unison. 

“Tell us what happened ma’am,” George added. “We’ll try not to interrupt.” But Minx knew with what the Professor was about to tell them, this was easier said than done. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“ _ She turned her into a plate _ ?” 

Minx stared at her twins with wide eyes, watching them leap from their chairs in protest, their faces masks of anger and disbelief. McGonagall stared at them with a cool expression and Minx could tell that she, too, was angry, and not at them. 

“I think the better phrasing would be, she transfigured her into the plate. If you touch the plate, you touch Minx’ prison, not her. Until that prison is destroyed, she cannot be reached, or touched, by anyone but the Headmistress herself.” The Professor’s voice was calm, when she explained those things. 

“So we need to smash the plate?” Fred asked, sounding somewhat doubtful. “Won’t Minx get hurt?”

“She might,” their Head of House agreed. “But we’ll be careful and she’s a clever girl. She’ll know to stay back.” The woman looked at her intensely and Minx hastily stepped back from the window. The sooner she got out of the way, the sooner she’d get out of that blasted prison. 


	34. Going Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy weekend everybody! Here’s your next kitty-chapter. Enjoy!
> 
> Thank you, nautilicious, for your ongoing help and support. And thank you, dear readers, for cheering me on. You’re the best!

Minx had barely stumbled out of the remains of her prison when she was scooped up by two pairs of strong arms, Fred and George holding her between them as they cuddled her. Minx could feel Professor McGonagall watching them, her green eyes shining with tenderness and given the circumstances Minx did not feel like being embarrassed because of her close contact with the boys. Even though she had only been away for one and a half days, she had desperately missed them and Umbridge’s treatment had left her somewhat shaky and in need of reassurance. That’s at least what she told herself, when excitedly rubbing her head against their chests, purring loudly. 

“Gods, you smell awful!” 

“What did she do to you? Drench you in parfume?” 

“You look hilarious in that pink bow.”

“I can’t believe she imprisoned you in a fucking plate!”

“Merlin, I missed you!”

For a while it was impossible for her to tell, which of her twins spoke, as she was tightly pressed against their bodies, the twins quickly switching back and forth as they spoke. It was probably the excitement, Minx thought, and she found that she could not fault them. She too, could barely hold it together and she knew that it would have been even worse for her if she’d been back to her human form, where her feelings were much more intense. 

“And Merlin that collar! The woman really has no taste,” Fred said, reaching for Minx collar. His fingers had barely connected with it though as he and with him Minx received a painful magical pulse. He flinched back with a hiss while she let out a pained yowl. 

“What the…” he murmured, staring at it with narrowed eyes. “Does that hurt you, lovely?”

Minx meowed, eyes wide and pleading. 

“Oh, this horrible, sick woman!” George cursed, before focussing on Professor McGonagall with a pleading expression. “Professor? Could you help us get that off? It’s  _ hurting _ her and…”

“Say no more, Mr Weasley,” the woman said, pointing her wand at the collar. She must have cast a non-verbal spell, as the evil thing snapped open a moment later, falling to the floor with black smoke evaporating from it. Minx hissed, her paw rubbing her neck. 

“Oh, Minx!” George exclaimed, scooping her in his arms. “What else has that vile woman  _ done _ to you?”

Minx meowed, but before any of the others could say anything more,  a loud knock from next door drove them apart. Fred and George stared at McGonagall with wide eyes, as she looked at them with a determined expression. 

“Stay here,” she instructed, straightening her posture before walking towards the door that most likely connected her quarters to her office. Whatever happens, don’t come outside.”

A casual wave of her wand transfigured the woman’s robe into a morning robe and Minx could only assume that she now also wore her nightshirt below. With her suddenly untied hair their usually stern Professor indeed looked, like she’d just gotten out of bed. Minx could only hope that the illusion she’d just created would be enough to deceive the current Headmistress; it pained Minx to even think of that evil woman as such. 

When the door closed behind Professor McGonagall, the twins fell silent and even though they were all happy smiles and cuddles, Minx could feel the tension radiating from them. 

“Minerva, I  _ must  _ insist you come and aid me finding those insufferable trouble-makers. There have been disturbances all over the castle, fireworks and whatnot. They have gone too far this time!”

From the sound of it, Umbridge was pretty agitated and if Minx wasn’t worried about what she might do, she would have enjoyed the tension radiating from her. 

“It could very well have been Peeves, Dolores,” McGonagall said sternly, a tired note in her voice. “He’s been out of order lately.”

“No!” Umbridge protested. “It’s been those redheaded twins of yours. I  _ know _ it was them! There’ve been their ridiculous products everywhere! But now it’s enough! I  _ will _ have order even if it is by throwing them out of this school!”

There was a long pause. “I hope you have enough proof to justify such a decision, Dolores. Those boys have talent, even though  _ some _ people have problems acknowledging that.”

There was a sniff and Minx assumed it came from Umbridge herself. “Talent is nothing without discipline. Those two are disrupting the order and I want them out of here! And you will be helping me finding them, Minerva, or I will start suspecting you of conspiring with them.”

“You forget yourself. I will join you momentarily,” Professor McGonagall said, coldly. “After putting on a warmer robe and proper shoes.”

“See that you do. We’ll be checking their dorm first,” Umbridge announced impatiently. “I’ll be waiting in front of that tasteless portrait that leads into the Common Room. See that you hurry to join me there.”

“As you wish, Dolores,” Professor McGonagall said and shortly after they heard the door closing, their Head of House entering her private chambers with a tired expression. The boys looked at her with a new-found admiration, while Minx was mostly worried of what would happen now. She could not see Umbridge letting this go, especially after she realized that Minx had disappeared from her chambers. 

“That harlot! I swear one day I’ll…” she mumbled until remembering she still had guests. As soon as she got aware of them she broke off, sighing. “I’m afraid the current Headmistress is determined to see you gone, Messers Weasley. I told you she might, when you suggested this reckless plan of yours,” she chided them. “There might not be much I can do for you at this point. I am sorry.”

“Don’t be,” George said with an affectionate smile. “You got us Minx back, that’s more than anybody else would have done. Freddy and I will be fine.”

“More than fine,” Fred added, smiling. “We do not plan on staying, after what she’s done to Minx. She won’t get near her again.” He cradled Minx protectively against his chest. “Do you by any chance have two brooms lying ‘round here, Professor? You’ll get them back, unscratched.”

“I recommend you use my Floo,” Professor McGonagall said sternly. But the twins only smiled. 

“Where would be the fun of that? We cannot leave Hogwarts without a proper goodbye,” Fred said, grinning. Minx groaned inwardly. Why did she have the feeling she was about to fly a broom through the castle?

The next hour was the most terrifying and exciting of Hermione’s life, as she’d never felt closer to dying, or living, before. Shortly after Professor McGonagall had left them with two brooms, telling them to take  _ good _ care of them, George transfigured some sort of carrier for Minx, fastening it in front of him on the broom.

“We’ll just pick up our stash of WWW products from the dorms as soon as Umbridge is out of sight,” Fred told her, smiling encouragingly. “Then we’ll make sure our dear High Inquisitor will not forget us. Don’t worry, we won’t have to fly too far afterwards, just past the wards of the castle. Afterwards, we can apparate you side-along to the Burrow.”

That sounded like a pretty forward plan, Minx thought. She could only hope that the twins’ escape, which now happened several months earlier than it originally had, would go as smoothly as it had the last time. 

  
  


Sssssss

  
  


To say that Molly Weasley was mad when her twins returned home in the middle of the night would have been an understatement. Minx had never heard the woman dressing down the twins like that, not even after she found a stash of self-designed snacks in the twins’ bedroom during the last summer. Fred and George took her rant with stoic patience, while Minx pressed herself tightly against George’s chest. Somehow it was her fault that they had already left school, as they’d stayed a few months longer in her original timeline. But would it have made a difference to them? Probably not. Fred and George Weasley did not need school to teach them how to design and craft their products, as they seemed to have taught themselves everything they needed to know. They were probably as well prepared to open their shop as they could…

It felt like hours until Minx could finally sink down into bed with her twins. She’d finally eaten something. After Fred and George had told their mum about Minx being taken by the Headmistress, Mrs Weasley had piled enough food onto her plate to feed a growing teenage boy. She’d also fed her boys, still muttering disappointedly, even though she somehow seemed to start to accept that the boys would not return to Hogwarts, not with Dolores Umbridge being in charge. Not only all of her kids at Hogwarts seemed to have somehow complained about the woman, even though most of the written words might have never arrived at the Burrow, with Umbridge going through their mail. It did not matter. Mrs Weasley seemed well aware of what kind of person Dolores Umbridge was, which meant that most of her anger and disappointment wasn’t necessarily directed towards her sons, but towards a witch who deserved every bit of it. And Mrs Weasley didn’t know the half of it. 

“We’re back, we’re home.” George’s voice was full of relief and happiness, as he whispered these words in the darkness, where only she and Fred would hear. 

“For now,” Fred added, dropping a kiss onto her head. “Georgie and I will start looking for a place for our own first thing tomorrow. We cannot wait to open our own shop and I don’t feel like bunking with mum and dad longer than necessary. Would make leaving school feel like more of a failure than it really is. If mum hadn’t begged us to go back, we’d have opened our shop already last summer.”

“Now, with school no longer stealing our time, we can finally carve out a place for ourselves… and for you, Minx.” George sounded hesitant, like he was fearing she would disapprove, even though she was just a cat to him. He could not know any better. “I hope you won’t miss the castle too much, lovely. Wherever we go, Freddy and I’ll make sure there’s plenty for you to do and explore. Don’t worry.”

That was easier said than done, Minx found. They were never supposed to leave the castle so early and even though it did not make much difference for them, it did for her. Young Hermione still had not learned of Skeeter’s animagus form and now Minx had no chance to show her. To her, those last days felt like a total failure and Minx felt a pit of worry growing in her stomach at the realization, that she’d been the one messing this up. Why had she rather played delivery service for the twins than making sure that the timeline would be preserved? She was an idiot, Minx found, a selfish, lovesick idiot. 

  
  
  



	35. Longing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for cliffy at the end of the chapter again. Sorry. I just cannot help myself. :o)
> 
> Alpha by EmilaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

“Morning sunshine!”

Fred and George were already awake, lounging on their beds when Minx finally awoke. She had no idea how long she’d slept, but as she had not found much rest the nights before, her body had obviously needed to catch up from her lack of sleep during her ordeal. 

“You must have been exhausted. Poor girl.” George nuzzled her affectionately with his nose and Minx could not help but rub her head against his face. Gods, she had missed them and for a while, she hadn’t know if she’d ever see them again. 

“Don’t worry, love. You can relax at the Burrow today,” Fred mumbled from behind, his fingers expertly petting the fur of her back. “Georgie and I’ll be off to Diagon Alley in a bit. We’re going to look for a place to open our shop, you see?”

“I’m sure mum will only be too happy to spoil you. With dad gone for work all day, the two of you will be alone here. And she enjoys it if she can dote on somebody,” George explained with an affectionate smile. 

“If she gets too much for you, you can always flee into the garden and hunt some gnomes,” Fred added grinningly. “Neither of us would blame you for it.”

Minx purred, hoping that they would not leave her too soon. After almost losing them, she was desperate to spend some more time with them even though it was probably ridiculous or illogical. But Minx had left her logic long behind when it came to Fred and George Weasley and she didn’t even feel sorry because of it. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  
  


“I cannot believe we can already move in this weekend,” Fred said, his voice still full of wonder. “I expected we’d be looking for something suitable for weeks. And now we’ll even have a shop at Diagon Alley!”

The twins had returned from their shop hunting session with red cheeks and glinting eyes and even though they hadn’t said much to their parents that evening, they were only too happy to discuss things later, when they were amongst themselves. 

“You see,” George explained, lazing on his back while Minx was lying on his chest. “Mr Graytwig is a muggle-born and even though the Prophet still tries to make people believe Harry and Dumbledore are delusional, or lying, Mr Graytwig would rather be safe than sorry, and decided to move abroad while he still can.”

“He also seems to have received some rather unsettling howlers, suggesting to him that it might be favourable to pay a bit of money to certain people in exchange for their protection. But since the Howlers destroyed themselves after the messages were delivered, he of course had no proof, especially as our dear Minister seems most determined to behave like a blind idiot,” Fred added with a crooked smile. “That man is making the situation even worse than it already is.”

Minx agreed. The wizarding would desperately need to train new Aurors, and teach the students how to defend themselves, but they were doing exactly the opposite. How were they ever to make it out alive on the other side of this upcoming war?

“Anyway,” George continued, putting on a happy smile. “Mr Graytwig made us a very good offer for his shop. He was thrilled to be able to get the money right away, as he seemed most eager to leave everything behind. He said he’ll need a few days to pack everything up, but he assured us we could start moving in on Saturday. Innit great?”

Minx meowed, showing her happiness by kneading his chest with her paws. Her boys were looking forward to opening their shop so much and she was thrilled their dream was finally about to come true. Still, she could not help but feel scared for them as well. Because if a muggle-born had already started to have problems with people asking for protection money, then there was no telling how they’d behave towards two green boys, originating from a family of blood traitors. She could only hope they’d be alright in the end.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“We did it!” Fred hugged his twin, a wide grin spreading on his face. It had been a tiring day for the three of them with moving boxes and furniture into the flat above their new shop. Minx had mostly tried to stay out of their way, trying to prevent someone from stumbling across her while moving things around. Still, she had eagerly explored everything, as she’d never been to the twins’ flat or the backrooms of their shop before. It was again like a door to a new world had opened for her and Minx wanted to learn as much about them as she could, before they’d ban her from their life. She still had no idea how she’d cope when that happened, but she’d probably try to relive all the memories she’d made, which made her desperate for as many good ones as possible. 

“This will be our first time having separate rooms, Freddy,” George said, a hint of hesitation resonating in his voice. “Can you imagine? We’ve always slept in the same room, if not sometimes even in the same bed. It feels strange to suddenly not have you there.” The redhead shuffled his feet. “I mean, I’m sure we’ll be fine and having a little more privacy will surely be nice.”

“No more wanking in the shower…” Fred added with a snort, making Minx cringe on the sofa. That wasn’t anything she’d needed to know. “And we don’t have to start implementing our new sleeping arrangements right away,” he added soothingly. “I know you’re lost without me, little brother.” Fred boxed his brother teasingly into the shoulder and George tackled him to the floor with a laugh. 

“You wish,” George laughed and Minx could tell that he wasn’t entirely serious. “You might be the more outgoing one, but I’m stronger and way better at playing Quidditch. And we both know that I’ll be the face of WWW. I do know my way around words.” 

Fred laughed. “That’s true, brother. You had to clean up behind me more than once. I usually am the one unable to hold my tongue, but you make a good job of explaining what I was  _ trying _ to say.” Fred chuckled, shoving his brother affectionately. “I guess I’d be lost without you just as much.”

Minx watched her twins fondly, once more realizing how much they needed each other. With what was to come, those two would find strength and reassurance with each other and once more Minx was jealous of the close relationship they had. She’s never had a sister, or a brother, no one being close enough to her, sharing the same experiences, to understand and relate. Especially as a kid, she’d mourned the absence of someone like that in her life; being a muggle-born only-child had been a challenge in more than one way. She’d gotten over it though but now, when seeing Fred and George like that, bantering while telling each other how important the other one was to them, the old longing for a kindred spirit was suddenly back. Maybe a sister would have understood what she’d gone through, falling back in time and being transformed into a cat. A sister might not have pushed her away, might have understood and reassured her, where the rest of the world might not. 

“How about we crack a Firewhiskey?” Fred suddenly said, grinning at his brother crookedly. “We still have the bottle Sirius gave us for Christmas. Still love how he transfigured the thing into a book, adding the note to cast a finite as soon as we are alone. The guy’s an awesome godfather, but I guess our uncles would have been the same, if they were still here.”

George hummed in agreement. “ ‘M sure they would have been awesome. You heard what Sirius said about them,” he said and Minx thought that she might not be the only one wishing for somebody in her life, that would not be there. She sighed. Maybe it was just human to long for someone who could relate and understand. “Alright. Firewhiskey it is,” George finally agreed, clapping his twin’s shoulder. “It’s not every day that two blokes move into their very own flat above their very own shop.”

Fred nodded. “I think that calls for a hearty celebration, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely Fred, absolutely.”

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


Minx rarely dreamt these days and she thought it was because of her body being mostly led by instinct while being a cat. Now that her timelines did not shift as much as during her fourth year, her nights were mostly uneventful, her mind relaxing peacefully while she was snuggled against one or both of her twins. Today, things were different. 

“ _ Hermione. _ ”

_ She was human again, her body tightly sandwiched between her boys, Fred’s arm pinning her back against his front, while he was softly grinding against her. “Love, you feel so good.” _

_ Suddenly she became aware of George’s big hands, cupping her breasts in the most pleasurable way. He was applying just the right amount of pressure, Hermione thought, pressing herself against him even more, a luxurious sigh falling from her lips. It felt so good being held between them like this, being desired and wanted for who she was. Yes, their fingers had caressed her before, but not like this, never like this.  _

_ “Hermione, love.” It was Fred whispering into her ear, his strong hands holding her by the hipbones while he rubbed himself against her, his breath coming in shaky gasps. “Gods, this feels so…” _

It was when her dream broke off, Fred’s and George’s hands suddenly gone, leaving her feeling cold and aching for more. She knew of course that it hadn’t been real, but it had  _ felt _ real, feeling Fred’s breath tickling her skin like that. It was almost like she could still feel him, feel…

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt, her hand reaching for her neck, realizing that it was bare, her soft fur having disappeared. Instead, there was skin, hot naked skin and behind her…

Hermione’s eyes flew open, realizing that George and Fred were indeed there and very much awake. 

“Hermione?” George’s voice was shaky and full of disbelief when he said her name, brown eyes full of confusion as they took her in, trying to puzzle together what had happened. Minx knew exactly what had gone wrong. She’d accidentally transformed back, her body lulled into false security now that she was free from Umbridge’s terror and out of Hogwarts or longing too much for her twin’s touch.  _ Stupid.  _ But that seemed the word describing her best these days, stupid - and very much in trouble. 


	36. Retreat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I am a little overwhelmed by your many comments. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and wishes for this story. This is so much more fun for me, having you join me on this journey. So far I have 43 chapters finished and we still have not reached the end. 
> 
> As always my special thanks go to my Alpha, EmiliavBlake, and my beta, nautilicious. 

Hermione had no idea how long she’d lain there, on a mattress on the floor of the living room, staring at George with wide, frightened eyes. Time had suddenly lost its importance, now that her world seemed to have shifted off of its axis. This was it, she’d messed up and now that she was about to lose it all, Hermione realized that she couldn’t take it.

“Fred?” This one word from George was enough to make her snap out of her stupor, her human body that was luckily at least clad by a Hogwarts school uniform scrambling to its feet, leaping from the mattress. They wouldn’t want her there, not now, not like this and it took all her willpower to not start crying as her human emotions started to overwhelm her. Oh God, she mustn’t start crying in front of them now. It would make her look even guiltier.

“Did we just…” 

Strangely Fred’s words were not directed at her, but at George, who still stared at her with a mix of panic and confusion. Fred seemed to be mostly confused, scratching his head while looking at his twin with wrinkled brows. “How much firewhiskey did we have, Georgie?”

George blinked, his eyes searching for the bottle that was nowhere to be found. Hermione had no idea where they left it, or how much of it they’d had, but it did not really matter. No matter how much they thought they were hallucinating, or whatever it was they assumed, Hermione knew better. 

“Not that much. It’s just… Hermione? How…”

Hermione blinked, panic tightening her throat. She knew she needed to explain before it was too late, but she had not planned for it to be happening like this. 

“I am Minx.” Her voice shook with panic as she forced the words out, tears shining behind her eyes but she forced them back with every ounce of self-restraint she had. She would not cry, not now, she told herself, digging her nails into the palms of her hand. 

Still, there were no howls of protest, as the twins kept staring at her, probably waiting for her to continue and so she did. “Please don’t be mad, I know it was wrong what I did, but I had no  _ choice _ .”

Fred blinked, but he was the first to walk towards her, eyes studying her full of interest. “Alright, Minx. Don’t worry. We’ll fix this. Georgie and I will find a way to transfigure you back. You’ll get your fur back, I promise.”

Her face fell. They still were not getting it, but she guessed she hadn’t done a very good job at explaining things. But all she could do was stare, as the scene unfolded in front of her, growing more and more absurd. “Cannot believe we transfigured poor Minx into a sexy copy of Granger. I mean, hell, even her boobs are bigger. We must have really been out of it, or really horny…”

George wasn’t saying anything though, as his brown eyes still focussed her in concentration. “I don’t think that’s what this is, Fred,” he finally answered, carefully walking towards her. “If this was really Minx, there’s no way she’d be able to talk. Minx is a cat, Fred, and no matter how clever she was…” He paused, his eyes widening. “You’re an Animagus.”

Hermione closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “I am now. I wasn’t when you took me in though. It took me a while to learn.”

George nodded, his eyes turning wary. “Still, you cannot be Hermione. Who are you? You look like her, but I’ve seen both of you in the same room. You also look… different.”

“I am her, in a way. It’s complicated. I got thrown back in time, two years into the past. There was no way back and I knew I could influence the timeline as little as possible. Also, no one could know, which is why Professor Dumbledore suggested turning me into a cat.” Hermione cringed. She did a horrible job of explaining things and could not blame Fred and George for looking at her sceptically. 

“You’re telling us that you agreed to let Dumbledore turn you into a cat and give you to _ us _ ? Why would you…” Fred shook his head and there was no longer a smile on his face. Realizing that she’d probably never see him smile again was what almost hurt her the most. 

“I didn’t want to miss school and you were in the right year for me to resume classes,” she said and if possible the twins’ faces fell even further. 

“Of course,” George said, shaking his head. “I always found it a little strange that mum would get us a cat, even before she saw our OWLs. It was all a lie.”

“NO!” Hermione could no longer take it, could not stand seeing her worst nightmare become reality in front of her eyes. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. “I’m sorry if you feel betrayed or think I violated your privacy. I tried not to, I really did! I never planned to lie to you and I  _ would _ have told you, once it was safe for me to turn back. But I also get that I cannot live with you as Minx now… I…”

Merlin, where would she even go, now that the twins would no longer want to have her? She couldn’t stay with them but she also couldn’t go back to Hogwarts, not with Umbridge still being after her and her younger self being at the castle. 

“I’ll go to Grimmauld Place. You won’t have to see me any longer, boys. I…”

She did not get any further, as Fred looked at her with pinched lips. “Sirius knows?” he asked, sounding as if he already knew the answer. 

Hermione hung her head. “He found out last summer,” she admitted and after a moment he saw realization dawn in their eyes. “I’m sorry for… well everything,” she said, her tears threatening to win over her and break free. She needed to hurry, needed to get away now. “I’ll just… would you let me use your floo? I never learned to Apparate and I’d rather not run across Diagon Alley and risk being seen.”

Fred nodded. “ ‘Course,” he said, sounding faint. “ ‘S not like we’d trap you here against your will. Not after…” His eyes widened in shock. 

Hermione nodded. “Thank you, Fred. I… goodbye Fred, George. And thank you for… taking care of me. You’ve always been very kind,” she said, turning abruptly as she could no longer hold back her tears. The first one rolled down her cheek as she hastened towards the fireplace, grabbing some floo powder from the mantle.

“Hermione.” It was George calling after her and she heard his steps as he was approaching from behind. She did not turn, did want him to see like that. 

“Yes?” she asked, barely able to mask the shaking in her voice. 

“I… nothing. I just wish you’d somehow told us. But, ‘s alright. I understand,” he murmured, the kindness in his voice enough to make her cry even harder. 

“Thank you,” she sniffed, before hastily stepping forward, tossing the floo powder into the flames. She barely managed to give the flames the right direction, but she forced herself to stay calm until the fire whisked her away. Only when she stumbled out of the fire into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, she allowed her sobs to break free. 

“Kitten? That you?” It took only a few seconds for Sirius to stumble into the room, his grey eyes looking at her full of concern. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

All she could do was shake her head, as the tears and sobs spilling out of her made it impossible for her to speak. The man hurried towards her with an empathic smile, his hands gently taking her shoulders and leading her to the long wooden bench. 

“Alright, alright,” he said while motioning for her to sit down. “Have a good cry first. I can see you need it.” He looked at her understandingly. “Kreacher! Some tea for me and Hermione,” he shouted into the room before sitting down next to her with a sigh. Silently he offered her his shoulder and she only too willingly sank against it, soaking his robe with snot and tears. He did not seem to mind, as his hand carefully patted her back, while he murmured soothing words to her. They did not really help her to calm down, as they only seemed to make her crying worse, but at least she no longer felt completely alone in this world. 

  
  
  



	37. A Different Kind of Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends. Here’s today’s chapter for you. I hope you enjoy the newest developments. ;-)   
> Thank you for your ongoing support and your patience! 
> 
> Alpha by EmilaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

“That’s a hell of a few days,” Sirius murmured much later, as Hermione had finally been able to tell him what happened. Somehow she’d started with her catching Rita and therefore changing the timelines, continuing with the DA being found out, her being captured and lastly, the twins finding out her secret. In the end, she’d almost been able to speak without crying - almost. “No wonder you needed a good cry. Being trapped into a fucking plate! Godric’s hairy buttocks. In comparison to that Umbridge, the dementors sound like pretty nice chaps.”

Hermione laughed, even though it came out more as a sob. “I’m fine,” she assured him with a watery smile. “I wasn’t in there for long and…” 

Sirius shook his head with a hum. “It doesn’t matter if one is imprisoned for a day, a year… or longer. Being robbed of your freedom, left without hope is a horrible experience. I would know. There’s no reason to say otherwise. What happened to you was horrible and yes, I know you’re a brave, strong girl, but you’re still allowed to cry… or rage. Whatever makes you feel better, Kitten.”

Hermione nodded, sniffing. “She still has so many more plates. Gods, I hate that horrible woman. I wish I could help those poor cats. They’re locked in there for Merlin knows how long.”

Sirius looked at her with an understanding smile. “And what about that Skeeter woman?  She seems like a right plague .” 

Hermione nodded, wiping the last tears away. She felt a little better already. Getting it all out had helped. “It wasn’t so bad the last time, before I went back in time, that is. But back then I discovered her Animagus form after my fourth year and… well, I trapped her in a jar and we had a nice, long talk about what was going to happen, if she turned against me and my friends again. But this time…”

“Yeah,” Sirius said, nodding. She’s already told him the story of how she’d changed the time-lines before she even came to recite the rest of her story. “Who would have thought trapping that annoying bug a little earlier could cause such problems.” He sipped his tea. “Alright, Kitten. How can I help you? What would make you feel better?”

Hermione looked at him in confusion. “I’d be very thankful if you’d let me stay until… well… until I’ve caught up with my timeline.”

“Of course you can stay, Kitten! I’d be delighted if you would. It gets a bit lonely in this old, dusty house and my mother’s portrait and Kreacher aren’t the best company one could wish for. I’d be  _ thrilled _ to have you, at least until the twins pull their heads out of their arses and come to carry you into the sunset.” He waggled his brows. 

Hermione chuckled sadly. “I’m not sure if that’s ever going to happen, Sirius. I mean, I invaded their privacy and…”

“And those boys are head over heels for you. You  _ know _ they are. If only one word of what they said about fancying you was true, they will not be chased away by the knowledge, that you willingly shared a bed with them, for months,  _ enjoying their cuddles _ .” He winked at her. “They just need some time to draw the right conclusions.”

Hermione sighed. She could only hope that Sirius was right. 

“The question is,” Sirius continued, his eyes twinkling encouragingly. “What you want to do in the meantime. What would make you feel happy?”

She carefully considered his words. There wasn’t much that would make her feel better as long as she was still afraid about the timelines, she realized. At that, she paused. “I... “

“Yes? What is it, Kitten?”

Hermione bit her lip. “I’d really like to set the timeline right. My other self needs to find out about Skeeter. But I guess it’s too late for that, now that I no longer have access to Hogwarts.”

Sirius smiled. “Who said you haven’t? Luckily for you, you’ve befriended the most charming Marauder in existence. I know Hogwarts inside out and most importantly, I helped to design the Marauder’s Map. If it makes you feel better, we’ll catch that nasty little bug and send it your other self on a silver platter.”

“You think we could do this?” Hermione asked, eyes wide in astonishment. 

At that, Sirius snorted. “Are you kidding? You and I? We could do almost anything.”

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


It was barely fifteen minutes later that Hermione and Sirius were holed up in the library, brooding over their very own design for a new Marauder’s Map. They both knew that searching for Rita Skeeter would mean looking for a needle in the haystack and with both of them needing to avoid being seen, that would be almost impossible to do. Therefore making a new map was the easiest way to solve their problem and Hermione was intrigued by how difficult and at the same time clever the design of the map was. 

“This truly is a remarkable piece of spellwork,” she praised, as she studied the arithmantic calculations, Sirius had scribbled down for her. She hadn’t been aware of him even knowing Arithmancy, let alone being able to make such advanced calculations. Hermione had always assumed this part had been done by Remus, or maybe James. When she told Sirius that, the man sent her a toothy grin.

“One thing about us Marauders was that we did everything together. We all became Animagi and even though some of us have struggled with some things, we always made sure that we all could do it. Yes, Remus was the brainy one of us, but instead of doing our homework for us, he helped us to do it ourselves.”

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. “That’s…”  _ how it should be _ , she thought, remembering how Ron, Harry and she had handled things. She’d loved to involve them more in her research, to teach them, not just let her things do for them. Knowing that the Marauders had had a totally different approach somehow made her admire them and with a pang, Hermione realized, that Fred and George probably handled things the same way. They, too, were equals and she could totally see them share their knowledge. Why hadn’t she found a friendship like that? But maybe now, with Sirius, she had. 

He smiled. “Yeah. We truly were a team, you see? Which only makes Peter’s betrayal a hundred times worse.”

She nodded. “It does. He did not deserve to have you as friends and I’m sure that one day he’ll pay for his betrayal. Anyway, I’m glad to have you as a friend, Sirius. I mean it.”

At that, Sirius smiled. “Awww, Kitten. You make this old, black heart go all sappy and soft.” 

Hermione chuckled. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

“The very best.”

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


It was only a few hours later when Minx followed Padfood out of Grimmauld Place, through narrow alleys into an abandoned warehouse. He transformed back, motioning for her to do the same.

“I’ll apparate us to the edge of the Forbidden Forest,” he murmured, offering her his arm like a gentleman would. “There I’ll disillusion us and we’ll walk to the castle. Alright?”

Hermione nodded. “You want to walk all the way to the castle?”

Sirius shrugged. “We could also fly, if that’s what you prefer. But I didn’t take you for someone fancying a broom-ride at moonlight. At least not with me.” He winked at her. 

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Don’t get your hopes up. Walking it is,” she said and Sirius grinned. 

“Thought so.”

  
  


Ssssssss

Walking alongside Sirius while she wasn’t able to see him was strange and at first, she had problems following his lead. After desperately looking for him two times she took his arm, which made it possible for him to lead her through the forest, the grounds and into a hidden passage near Hagrid’s hut that hadn’t been marked in the old Marauder’s map. “We only discovered it after finishing it,” he explained in hushed tones motioning into the dark, narrow tunnel that lay in front of them. 

“We’ll have to crawl,” she said, sighing. 

Sirius chuckled. “Do we?” When he cancelled the disillusionment Hermione could see his grin, shortly before he transformed into Padfoot. She groaned. Of course. Why was it always so hard for her to think outside the box? 

Hermione transformed and together they made their way into the castle. Only when they reached the end of the passage in the seventh floor they halted and Sirius transformed back, taking out the brand new Marauder map and opening it at the ground in front of them. It didn’t take them long to find Rita, who was slowly moving through the sixth floor. 

“Stay in your Animagus form,” Sirius whispered towards her. “I’ll carry you after disillusioning us. You can sit on my shoulder.”

Minx yowled in protest. She wouldn’t be able to do much while being in her Animagus form. 

“If she’s in her beetle form, you can catch her,” Sirius promised with a smile. It was as if he’d read her thoughts. “I know you still have a bone to pick with her. If she’s in her human form, I’ll take her out. I’ve been an Auror and can hopefully do so without giving us away.”

At that, Minx nodded. Better safe than sorry, she guessed, even though it was strange to have Sirius being the level-headed one. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“I can’t believe we’ve done this,” Hermione cried about an hour later, her body pressed against Sirius, who was flying them on a broom. She wasn’t happy about  _ that _ particular development, she still hated flying, but it was their best way to come into the Gryffindor tower and deliver a nicely wrapped jar with a message to young Hermione’s nightstand while the girl was sleeping. 

_ “Who am I?” _ It read and:  _ “Do not open! Unregistered Animagus inside.”  _ They had decided to sign the message with two paw prints, one from Minx and one from Padfoot. It would hopefully be enough for young Hermione to believe the letter and act accordingly. Minx guessed she’d soon know, because she was sure her memories would shift again, once something happened. 

“Feel like doing another little break-in?” Sirius asked from behind, the wind and her fear of heights making it difficult for her to hear his words. Still, with the adrenaline still pumping through her veins and her recent success in mind, she felt more advantageous than she’d ever felt possible. 

“What do you have in mind?” she asked to her own and probably Sirius’ surprise. The man behind her laughed.

“Freeing some poor cats out of horrible, pink plates.”

Hermione felt like hugging him. Sirius really knew how to cheer a girl up. 

  
  
  


Sssssssss

  
  
  
  
  



	38. A Perfect Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday, my friends. Yesterday I finished writing this story. And I’m sad because it is so hard to say goodbye to Minx and the boys. (Sniffs) You still have some more chapters to read, but I suddenly feel lost and unsure what to do with my time now. 
> 
> Alpha by EmilaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

“I’d love to see Umbridge’s face when she realizes all her cats are gone. I cannot believe we broke into her office as well,” Hermione said as they entered Grimmauld Place through the front door, her cheeks still glowing with excitement. 

“Maybe you’ll be lucky and your younger self sees her. If you do, you’ll have to share the memory with me,” Sirius added, his grey eyes dancing with excitement. “You’ve definitely earned yourself the title of an honorary Marauder today, Kitten.”

Hermione laughed, but the sound died in her mouth, as she suddenly realized they weren’t alone in the hallway. Fred and George stood close to the kitchen door, brown eyes looking nervously at her and Sirius.

“Fred. George.” Suddenly Hermione felt herself freeze in place, staring at them with wide eyes. They’d come for her, apparently wanted to talk to her and Hermione could feel her legs get shaky at the realization. What could she even say?

“Hermione.” They spoke as one again, moving towards her almost in sync, brown eyes anxiously trained on her. “Can we talk?” 

She felt herself nod, even though she could already feel her mind going blank, the giddiness she’d just felt chased away by panic. Still, she forced herself to speak, even though her voice was quivering: “Sure.” 

Sirius, who was standing to her right, looked at her with a grin. “Told you they’d come,” he murmured and Hermione was pretty sure the twins had heard. Louder he said: “I’ll be in the shower, then. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He winked before strolling past them, whistling a happy melody. 

Hermione followed him with her eyes for a moment, before she focussed back on the twins, who slowly walked towards her. They stopped at arm’s length, George shifting nervously on his feet, while Fred said: “We missed you. It’s strange not having you there.”

Hermione stared. That wasn’t what she’d expected them to say to her, even though she suddenly had no idea what it was she’d expected. 

“That doesn’t mean that we want you to turn back into a cat, Hermione. Not if you don’t want to,” George hastily added, throwing a panicked look at his twin. 

Fred rolled his eyes. “I’d much rather snuggle the real you,” he said, squaring his shoulders. Hermione could see George’s eyes growing wide, but Fred wasn’t finished. “I mean, you  _ know _ how we feel about you,  right ? You’ve been there when we talked about it and it’d be stupid to simply ignore that fact.”

George blinked. “Right. Even though we can totally understand if that’s not what you want, really. We know that this is unusual and…”

“It’s not,” Hermione said, carefully taking a step towards them. “Not for me. I mean, I’ve been there, I’ve  _ seen _ how close you two are. You know, I’m glad I did because I think I understand, a little, what it means to be magical twins.” She bit her lip. 

“Yeah?” Fred’s voice sounded hopeful as he too took a step towards her. He was almost right in front of her now, while George still hovered behind him, staring at her nervously. 

“Yeah.” There were so many things she wanted to say, wanted to tell them about, and for a moment she was overwhelmed by the different ways this conversation could go. 

In the end, Fred was faster, his voice full of hope as he asked: “Does that mean you’d give us a chance? Because we’d love to get to know you better,  _ this _ you, because I assume we and the other Hermione never happened, did it?”

Hermione shook her head. “In my other timeline we were only friends,” she admitted slowly. “But… I’d love to give this a try and see if this works.”

“Brilliant!” Fred beamed at her happily and she could also see George stepping closer, his eyes suddenly shining with hope. 

“You won’t regret this,” he said, stepping right next to his twin. “We’ll go about this at your pace. There’s no need to feel pressured or…”

He did not get further, as Hermione suddenly took a step forward, throwing her arms around the both of them. There was a gasp from George but a moment later she could feel his arms closing around her, while Fred hugged her from behind. 

“This okay?” he murmured and Hermione could only nod, her heart hammering in nervous excitement. 

“More than okay,” she murmured, carefully resting her head against George’s chest. She’d done so multiple times already, but being a human it felt different, especially as their feelings were now out in the open. “Love it when you hold me,” she admitted quietly. “Always have. You must know that I wouldn’t have sought you out so often if that hadn’t been what I wanted.”

“We hoped,” George murmured into her hair. “I was scared you could have felt forced or pressured to do so, to protect your cover.”

“I didn’t,” she assured him. “I haven’t always fancied you, at the beginning I barely knew you, but snuggling against you always felt… right.”

“You fancy us?” Fred asked from behind, his nose suddenly bushing against her ear, making her shudder. 

“I do.” The relief when she was finally able to say these words was incomparable to almost anything. It was like her soul suddenly felt much lighter and she was almost sure she’d start to float if her twins hadn’t held her so tightly. 

“Brilliant!” This time the word came from George, his brown eyes sparkling as if somebody had just lit a firework behind them. “That’s more than I dared to hope for.”

At that, Hermione smiled. “Why? You and Fred give the best back rubs,” she said, chuckling. And just like that Fred and George joined in. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“Well, you three look cosy there on the sofa,” Sirius said, towelling his still wet hair with a grin. “I’m actually surprised the three of you decided to make use of this old, stuffy drawing-room, instead of whisking Hermione away into your flat. Not that I’m complaining, mind.”

He winked at them and Hermione smiled. Somehow she did not mind that he saw them like this, Hermione sitting between her twins, George’s arm slung around her shoulder, while Fred’s arm had settled around her waist. Ever since they’d pulled her into their arms they had been reluctant to let her go and so was she. Their gentle, unobtrusive touch made her feel wanted, accepted,  _ happy _ .

“We’re taking things slow,” George explained casually. “Because there’s no hurry, is there?”

Sirius smiled, sinking into one of the armchairs with a grin. “If you say so.” Hermione saw him summon a drink from one of the sideboards, before looking at them with raised brows. “Feel free to help yourself to some elf-wine or firewhiskey. Because I feel like there’s enough reason for a little celebration. Don’t you think?”

Hermione nodded, just as she felt another of her memories shift. Some of the cats they’d let loose all over Hogwarts had just found their way into the Great Hall, right at dinner time. And going by the look of realization and anger on Umbridge’s face, she recognized her cats and realized where they must have come from. She grinned. Yes, there definitely was a toast in order. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“I cannot believe you broke into Umbridge’s rooms and her office,” Fred said much later, when they tipsily made their way towards the floo. It had been a long evening full of shared stories, cuddles and laughter, with Hermione and Sirius retelling their adventures at the castle, while the twins shared their plans for the shop. 

Hermione smiled at them. “No? Living with you taught me the value of a good prank, especially when it’s for a good cause.”

Fred chuckled. “We’ve ruined her, Georgie,” he said dramatically. 

His brother smiled. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” For a moment Hermione saw him hesitate before his brown eyes focussed on her more seriously. “It’s been a wonderful evening,” he said, carefully reaching for her hand. “And I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better, Hermione.”

Fred nodded, taking a step towards her, his arms coming around her until he was snuggled against her side. “Me, too. I’d hate to say goodnight to you now, but Georgie and I’ll have a full day, setting up the shop tomorrow. And I’m sure you’re knackered from all those adventures.” He chuckled. 

Hermione smiled affectionately. She, too, hated to see them go but inviting herself into their bed when they hadn’t even shared a kiss felt… inappropriate. It was much better to go about this slowly, even though that meant she would wake up alone in a bed that was way too big for her. She sighed. 

“Can we kiss you goodnight though?” Fred whispered, his head coming to rest against her temple. “Because I’d love to do so.”

Hermione nodded, her heart fluttering in excitement at his words. “Yes, please,” she whispered hoarsely, realizing that both twins looked at her with a happy smile. George gently cupped her cheek with his right hand, his mouth moving towards her without hurry, while she could already feel Fred’s lips on her temple, her cheek. Hermione’s eyes fluttered closed, a sigh escaping her before George’s  mouth met hers, moving against her softly. Her mind had barely enough time to register the softness of him, the taste of wine as he carefully brushed the tip of his tongue against her bottom lip before he pulled away, Fred taking his place with a fluent motion. Then he was kissing her, firmer and a little faster, his fingers playing with the hair in her neck as his lips danced against hers. 

“Good night, love,” he whispered just before he stepped away way too soon, joining his brother who looked at her with a happy disbelieving smile. 

“We’ll see you tomorrow night,” George murmured gently, his smile full of promises. 

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely,” she said, her heart still shuddering against her ribcage. “See you tomorrow.”

And only too soon they were gone, bowing towards her with a smile before they disappeared into the fireplace. Hermione sighed. This really had been the perfect day. 

“I cannot believe they left you to sleep here, after the three of you used to share a bed for Merlin knows how many months,” Sirius suddenly said from behind her, his voice full of amusement. 

When Hermione turned around she saw him casually leaning in the doorframe of the kitchen and for a moment she could not help but ask herself how long he’d already been standing there. “Definitely not what I would have done.”

Hermione shook her head while rolling her eyes. “They’re happy to take things slow,” she repeated to him. “They’re gentlemen, you see?”

Sirius chuckled. “Too noble for their own good. Be honest, Kitten, you wouldn’t have said no. I can see how you look at them.”

She shook her head. “You’re such a  _ dog _ , Sirius.”

“Well, there’s no denying  _ that. _ ”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This is where my outline ended. But we all agree, that this story is not finished, yes? So from this point on, I’ll be flying blind. Sighs. Let’s see how it goes. 


	39. Kisses and Cuddles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a nice fluffy chapter for you, my friends! Thank you for all the love you’re giving this story and therefore to me. It's what helps me through my days, atm. 
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious

“Are you always up so early?” Sirius’ sleepy voice greeted her, as she nursed her second mug of morning tea in the kitchen. She’d had a brilliant, long sleep and even though she’d missed snuggling against her twins when going to bed. She’d been too tired to miss them for long though, as she’d simply fallen asleep after a few minutes. Still, she missed them as soon as she woke up and for a panicked moment, she was afraid that yesterday had just been a wonderful dream. But no, even after a few moments of lying in bed, she clearly remembered how it felt to kiss them, how they tasted. Yesterday had been real, which meant that she’d see them tonight after they were finished with work. 

“As a cat, I used to sleep in,” she admitted, smiling into her mug. “There wasn’t much I could do. But now? I have so much schoolwork to catch up on, especially the practical stuff. I need to work on my charms and…”

“There’s nothing wrong with your charm, Kitten,” Sirius interrupted, winking at her. “Ask your twins.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Anyway, there’s probably nothing I can do about the potion practicals, but maybe I could practise my duelling skills. It’s not only the NEWTs I’ll be needing them for. Do you… would you mind practising some duelling with me?”

“Not at all, Kitten. Looking forward to showing off my duelling skills a little. But don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you. Though we could probably convince your twins to join us for a little magical foursome.”

Hermione snorted into her tea. “Sirius!” she protested, hastily wiping her face. “You can’t just say something like that!” she protested, but the man just looked at her, smirking. 

“Why not? Love it when you’re getting all flustered.” He grinned. “By the way, where did you get that tea from? Kreacher doesn’t make tea.”

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. “It’s in the right cupboard, top shelf,” she said. “I made it myself.”

Sirius stared. “Right. Could you make some for me?” He looked at her with pleading puppy eyes.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know how to make tea,” she said, already suspecting the answer. She shook her head. “Alright, don’t answer that. Come here, I’ll show you how to do it. It’s the least I can do after you agreed to help me with my duelling.”

Sirius smiled. “Do you think me learning this will bother Kreacher enough that he’ll do it for me the next time?” he asked and Hermione could not help but  chuckle about the man’s laziness . She had no idea how he had managed to survive without starving for such a long time.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“We thought we could spend the evening at our flat today,” Fred said, once he and George had stepped through the floo, ginger hair still damp from the shower. 

“It’s totally fine if you don’t want to,” George hastily added with a reassuring smile. “But we thought we’d ask.”

“I’d love to come,” Hermione answered without needing to think about this. She’d be alone with them for months and even though she’d been a cat then, their time together was enough to build a trust in them that could not easily be shattered. “And I’m sure Sirius doesn’t mind. He’s learned to make his own tea now,” she said, winking at the older wizard, who was sitting at the kitchen table. 

Her host grinned. “Not at all. She’s bossed me around all day already. Take her for as long as you want,” he said, waving them off. “I surely won’t wait up.”

The twins looked at her with a grin. “Brilliant,” Fred said, taking her left hand into his, squeezing it softly. “Cannot wait until you see the living room. Georgie and I’ve worked hard to make it as comfy as possible.”

Hermione felt him pull her hand and she followed him only too willingly. After all she’d waited all day to be finally alone with them again. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


The twins had indeed been busy. Hermione had no idea how they’d done it, but since she left their flat almost two days ago, they’d not only painted but also added more furniture, books and whatnot to the flat. The living room with the integrated kitchenette was painted in a bottle-green, but because most of the furniture was a light wood or a soft brown, it didn’t seem too dark. In front of the fireplace there now was a large brown sofa and two armchairs and she could see the shelves which were lined up against the wall brimming with numerous books. She could not help but ask herself how many of them both of them had hidden in their trunks, without her being aware of it. 

“Want us to show you the flat?” George asked, carefully taking her hands into his. I’m sure you already know the bathroom. We didn’t touch this one so far. We did work on the bedrooms though. But it’s totally fine if you just want to cuddle on the couch.”

Hermione smiled at him. “I’d love to see what else you’ve done, because the living room’s so cosy now. And I definitely look forward to snuggling against the two of you on the sofa.” 

“Alright, come on then. I’ll show you our office first,” George answered, letting go of one of her hands, before pulling her along towards his room. Fred followed them with a happy chuckle. 

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


They never made it to the sofa but now that Hermione was snuggled against her twins, her body tightly sandwiched between them, she could not find it in herself to care. Their bed was huge, even larger than a king-size bed and Fred explained, that after a bit of consideration they’d decided to just have one bedroom instead of two. When George had tried to assure her that this or the size of the bed wasn’t implying anything, she hadn’t been able to help herself and simply kissed him. She wanted them to know she trusted them and when Fred suddenly embraced her from behind, it had felt only natural to guide them towards the huge, inviting bed, knowing that they’d be more comfortable there. And she was right.

It felt like her body fit perfectly between them, like a puzzle piece connecting them into a whole, beautiful picture. Yes, she knew how cliche this sounded, but it’s how she felt when George nuzzled her neck with his nose from behind, while Fred raked his fingers through her curls, kissing her until she was dizzy and breathless. 

“Could do this all evening, love,” he purred, kissing her temple, her cheek, her nose. “Never thought I’d be so perfectly happy, but here I am.”

Hermione smiled, softly cupping his freshly shaved cheek. “I’ve been told there’s nowhere else I need to be tonight. I could stay with you, if you like,” she offered, her words rewarded with another enthusiastic kiss from the redhead. 

“Are you sure?” he asked in between kisses.

Hermione nodded. “It’s nothing that we haven’t done before, boys. I trust you, you know?” 

They did not answer her with words. Instead, she was showered with kisses and cuddles, both boys taking turns in showing her how much they appreciated her trust. And when Hermione fell asleep that night, high on endorphins and her body tightly snuggled between Fred and George she thought that she’d never missed words so little in her life. 

  
  



	40. A Little Push

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a little bit of smut in this chapter. If that’s not for you, you can probably just skip the last scene. 
> 
> Alpha by EmiliaVBlake  
> Beta by nautilicious 

Hermione never expected that time could move so quickly, but here she was, engulfed by her bubble of bliss while the days turned into weeks. Most of her days were spent with Sirius, duelling in the basement or studying in the library until the twins came to pick her up in the evening. Soon they no longer had qualms bringing her to their flat and true to their word they stayed with kisses and cuddles, never pressuring her for more. Hermione was perfectly happy the way it was, but from time to time she could not help but ask herself what would happen once things developed further, and it wasn’t just because she was a virgin. 

She knew the practicalities of well… sex, her mother made sure to keep her well educated as soon as she reported having her first period. Only that this wasn’t just about her losing her virginity, or even about not having any practical experience. She knew the twins hadn’t much experience either but every time she thought about taking the next step, her mind just went blank, unable to imagine how this was even supposed to work with three people being involved. She sighed. 

“Ouch!” Sirius’ stinging hex brought her back to the present, focussing her on the duel going on between the two of them. 

“You should really get your mind out of the gutter, Kitten,” her friend told her, rolling his grey eyes. “I know that faraway look in your eyes. It’s getting worse, you know? You should just seduce them and finally get laid, Honey.”

Hermione threw him a scandalized look. “You make it sound like I’m…” she gestured through the air. “I’m not…”

Sirius snorted. “Yes you are and it’s totally natural. You’ve been seeing those two boys for about a month now. There’s nothing wrong with wanting them to shag you.”

She bit her lip, lowering her wand, because suddenly she felt like she would not get another curse out. She needed to talk about this, because Sirius was right. The more time passed the more nervous she got, not only because she thought that the twins were holding back for her sake, but because she  _ wanted _ to go further, while at the same time she was completely overwhelmed by the possibilities. “Have you ever been with two girls, or well, more than one person. The gender doesn’t really matter I guess…”

Sirius grinned. “Sure I have. Why waste a perfectly good opportunity to get laid?” He winked at her, not looking ashamed at all. She guessed he wouldn’t be, being the Casanova he was. She’d definitely heard enough stories about his conquests. 

“Then how... “ She closed her eyes in embarrassment, feeling her cheeks heating up. “How did you make sure everyone was happy when… I can’t see myself having sex with both of them at once.”

“Then don’t,” Sirius said and when she looked at him, she saw him shrugging unconcernedly. “There’s multiple ways to have sex, Kitten. Filling a hole isn’t the only way to do it.” He winked at her. “You’re a clever girl and I’m sure you’ll find something that works for you, whatever that is. And if you ever need any inspiration…” He waggled his brows.

“No thanks. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Hermione hastily assured him because suddenly she believed they would. 

“Good. Then go and get them, girl, because I can tell those two need a little push.” Sirius grinned and a second later he pocketed his wand. “Think about it, Kitten. Alright?”

Hermione nodded, because she’d barely done anything else this last week. Maybe Sirius was right and it was finally time to make a move.

  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


“What do you think?” George asked, proudly leading her through the newly set-up shop. He and Fred had worked hard for the last weeks, building shelves and designing fancy decorations to give their shop their very own touch. They really had outdone themselves.

“It’s brilliant!” she said, staring at the colourful facade and the charmed decorations in awe. “It’s like catching a glimpse into your minds, because I imagine that’s what it looks in there.”

Fred grinned. “We’ve only used a portion of our ideas, of course. Will need to keep things fresh and exciting, after all.” 

“You don’t think it’s too much?” George asked, hugging her from behind. “Too colourful? Too loud?” 

“Nope,” she replied, turning in his arms and kissing him. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect,” she said, underlining her words with a kiss, while closing her arms around his neck. George smiled and happily kissed her back, his hands affectionately caressing her cheeks. 

It was only a moment until she could feel Fred approaching them as well, his hands coming to rest on her back as he pressed a soft kiss onto her neck. She shuddered. They’d done this so many times now, the twins kissing and stroking her until she felt like putty in their hands. Only they always stopped, pulling back with a happy, sheepish smile before continuing their previous conversation like nothing had happened. But feeling George’s hum, seeing the flutter of his eyelids as she kissed him, she could not believe that this was not affecting him, like it was affecting her. And her heart was definitely starting to pick up speed. 

Making a bold decision she moved her hands, gliding them down his chest, tugging at his shirt. It came loose easily and it was only seconds until she brushed her fingertips against the warm skin of his belly, making him groan into her mouth. Hermione smiled against his lips, carefully moving her hands upwards, across his abs. He really was fit, she thought, her tongue dancing in his mouth. It was like she’d given them some signal, because suddenly Fred was moving closer, his hands brushing her hipbones, her belly through her shirt. Then there was a hint of teeth on her neck, a hum coming out of his mouth as he murmured: “You’re perfect,” continuing the conversation she’d lost track of. “So glad to have you in our lives, love.”

George nodded. “Absolutely delighted,” he added, his lips kissing along her jaw, towards her ear. 

Hermione sighed, goosebumps breaking out on her skin. “Good. Because I don’t plan on going anywhere,” she murmured, her hands coming around George’s body, gripping his shoulder blades. “Other than your bedroom, maybe.”

George gasped. “You sure?” he asked, his voice sounding breathless and excited. 

Hermione nodded. “I’d rather be in a room with smaller windows when I rid you of this,” she murmured into his ear, excitedly registering the goosebumps spreading on George’s skin. Sirius was right, Hermione thought. Maybe those two really just needed a little push.

  
  
  


Ssssssss

  
  


In the end, she almost blindly stumbled up the stairs, as the twins were reluctant to break their kisses and stop distracting her. They would have been ten times faster if they’d just taken a break and walked up the stairs to their flat, but somehow none of them really considered it as an acceptable alternative in the heat of the moment. Her legs definitely felt a little too shaky to walk effectively and so she stumbled backwards the first bit, before Fred simply scooped her up and carried her towards their large shared bed, ignoring her surprised squeak.

“Sorry ‘bout that, love,” George apologized and Hermione could see him climbing the mattress, while Fred lowered her to the bed with a happy grin. “He’s a little enthusiastic.”

Fred rolled his eyes. “As if you aren’t,” he said, crawling onto her other side. “Doesn’t mean we won’t immediately stop if you tell us to,” he promised, raking his fingers through her curls. Her hair was much longer now that she hadn’t cut if for so many months and somehow it looked a lot less bushy now. 

“If you feel uncomfortable, just say so,” George added, his eyes looking at her seriously. 

“Same goes for you,” Hermione added with a smile before grabbing Fred’s shirt and pulling him into an urgent kiss. 

George chuckled from behind, her hands cupping her waist, pressing his body against her. “Don’t worry, love. We’re happy to try almost anything with you. But if you manage to overwhelm us, we’ll tell you. Same rights for everybody,” he whispered, nibbling at her earlobe. 

From there on it was hard to keep track of their mouths, their hands, as Hermione had mostly closed her eyes, from the overload of sensations that washed over her. Somehow it did not matter who of them did what, or which of them she undressed first when in the end they all ended naked, wrapped around each other under the huge, warm blanket. Sirius was right, there were many ways to find pleasure with each other, to make those boys pant and moan her name in ecstasy. One way was covering their bodies with kisses, or exploring it with her tongue and they were only too eager to return those caresses and more. 

Yes, they’d make this work, Hermione thought much later, when she lay sandwiched between them, her body sweaty and very much sated, despite her virginity still being untouched. Neither twin had complained when she wrapped her fingers around them, stroking them until they were no longer coherent, her eyes watching them hungrily as they spilt themselves over their naked chests. Watching them fall apart might become one of her new favourite things, she thought, burying her head into the crook of George’s neck. She really was a lucky witch, Hermione realized, falling asleep with a smile on her lips. 

  
  



End file.
